Open Heavens Daily Devotional by Pastor E.A. Adeboye

 OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL

DATE: THURSDAY 17TH DECEMBER 2020.

THEME: ON THE LORD’S SIDE?

MEMORISE:

 He that is not with me is against me; and he that gathereth not with me scattereth abroad.

Matthew 12:30

READ: Exodus 32:22-26

22 And Aaron said, Let not the anger of my lord wax hot: thou knowest the people, that they are set on mischief.

23 For they said unto me, Make us gods, which shall go before us: for as for this Moses, the man that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we wot not what is become of him.

24 And I said unto them, Whosoever hath any gold, let them break it off. So they gave it me: then I cast it into the fire, and there came out this calf.

25 And when Moses saw that the people were naked; (for Aaron had made them naked unto their shame among their enemies:)

26 Then Moses stood in the gate of the camp, and said, Who is on the LORD's side? let him come unto me. And all the sons of Levi gathered themselves together unto him.

MESSAGE:

The Israelites had departed from God while Moses was on the Mount. They had begun to worship a golden calf which Aaron was pressured to make for them. This made Moses ask “Who is on the Lord’s side?” (Exodus 32:26)

Even in God’s service, people have varying motives.

While many may profess to be for God, their claims may not be entirely true, considering their secret lives. However, some Christians are true friends of God; in private and in the open. Even when they make mistakes, they don’t give excuses or seek to cover them up; they repent immediately. Their objective is ‘holiness unto the Lord’. Are you on the Lord’s side?

As there are two sides to a coin, so there are to the spiritual also: the good and the bad, Heaven and hell, God’s kingdom of light and Satan’s kingdom of darkness. You are either on one side or the other.

“And it came to pass, when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted up his eyes and looked, and, behold, there stood a man over against him with his sword drawn in his hand: and Joshua went unto him, and said unto him, Art thou for us, or for our adversaries?” Joshua 5:13

Like the angel in the above passage had his sword drawn, so does everyone in the sprit realm, but who is your sword working for or against?

With every word you say and every action you take, your sword is swung, for or against God. If you conspire with people to sin instead of rebuking them, you are swinging, for or against God. If you consciously give erroneous interpretations of the Bible to fellow believers, you are clearly against God and on the side of Satan.

So many tongue-speaking ‘Christians’ are with the devil. This is dangerous. I pray for God’s mercy on such people.

Whose side are you truly on? 

ACTION POINT:

Examine your heart to see if you are truly on The Lord’s side. Make amends in repentance today if you find yourself wanting.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:  1 Timothy 1-6

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE 

HYMN 4: BLESSED ASSURANCE, JESUS IS MINE.

1. Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine!

Oh, what a foretaste of glory divine!

Heir of salvation, purchase of God,

Born of His Spirit, washed in His blood.

Refrain:

This is my story, this is my song,

Praising my Savior all the day long;

This is my story, this is my song,

Praising my Savior all the day long.

2. Perfect submission, perfect delight,

Visions of rapture now burst on my sight;

Angels, descending, bring from above

Echoes of mercy, whispers of love.

3. Perfect submission, all is at rest,

I in my Savior am happy and blest,

Watching and waiting, looking above,

Filled with His goodness, lost in His love.

Open Heavens Prayer Points

 Prayer Points on Today’s Open Heavens: (Wednesday, December 16, 2020) - 

A Citizen of God's Kingdom?

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, 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 delivering me from the powers of darkness, and for translating me into the kingdom of Your dear son, Jesus.

2.Thank You, Father, for the precious blood of Jesus that was shed at Calvary, and for making me a partaker of the inheritance of the saints.

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

4.Father, please, give me a child-like spirit, faith and disposition, that will qualify me for a place in heaven, in Jesus name.

5.Father, let Your fire consume every spirit of malice and all vices that could prevent me from making heaven, in Jesus name.

6.Father, please, give me a forgiving spirit, which is another 

 disposition, peculiar to children, in Jesus name.

7.Father, empower me to be totally dependent on You for all my needs, and to put all my trust in You, in Jesus name

8.Father, uphold me by Your right hand of righteousness till the end; I will not fall, I will not fail, and I will not go back into the world, in Jesus name.

9.Father, as a citizen of Your kingdom, please, give me the grace to always seek first, Your kingdom and righteousness, and to do Your perfect will, at all times, in Jesus name.

 and as I do, let all other things I require to shine and excel in life be added unto me, in Jesus name.

10.Father, bless your son, Pastor E.A.Adeboye; please, let him 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

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: WEDNESDAY 16TH DECEMBER 2020.

THEME: A CITIZEN OF GOD’S KINGDOM.

MEMORISE:

Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein.

Mark 10:15

READ: Mark 4:8-11

8 And other fell on good ground, and did yield fruit that sprang up and increased; and brought forth, some thirty, and some sixty, and some an hundred.

9 And he said unto them, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.

10 And when he was alone, they that were about him with the twelve asked of him the parable.

11 And he said unto them, Unto you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God: but unto them that are without, all these things are done in parables:

MESSAGE:

Being a part of the Kingdom of God is the ultimate achievement for any human being. It is a special thing to belong to God’s Kingdom because we become exposed to his mysteries thereby. For example, many people cannot understand or accept the mystery of the virgin birth of Jesus Christ because the eyes of their understanding have been shut.

In our memory verse today, Jesus said something very crucial about the Kingdom of God: He states that only those who are like children will inherit it. The major characteristics of children that make them qualify for this are: love, trust and faith. Have you seen how children automatically trust and depend on their parents? This simply means that until you love, believe and have faith in God like a child, you cannot be a part of the Kingdom of God. A child depends on his/her parents for instructions and guidance. Usually, they believe and run with what their parents tell them. Most of us still adhere to certain principles we learned from our growing up. 

This child-like attitude to God is what qualifies us to encounter the mystery of God’s Kingdom. Those of us who have experienced the move of God firsthand know that the  mystery of the Kingdom of God is best experienced. The Bible says in 1 John 1:1:

“ That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life;”

Finally, in our daily activities and pursuits, Jesus encourages us in Matthew 6:33 to seek first the kingdom of God, with the assurance that all our earthly pursuits will be given as add-ons. There is nothing too difficult for God to do, but His priority is that you should seek His kingdom and righteousness which can only be obtained through Christ Jesus.

ACTION POINT:

Let God’s priority be your priority and watch your life turn around for good.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:  Philippians 1-4

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE 

HYMN : TAKE MY LIFE, AND LET IT BE.

1. Take my life and let it be

Consecrated, Lord, to Thee.

Take my moments and my days,

Let them flow in endless praise.

2. Take my hands and let them move

At the impulse of Thy love.

Take my feet and let them be

Swift and beautiful for Thee.

3. Take my voice and let me sing,

Always, only for my King.

Take my lips and let them be

Filled with messages from Thee.

4. Take my silver and my gold,

Not a mite would I withhold.

Take my intellect and use

Every pow’r as Thou shalt choose.

5. Take my will and make it Thine,

It shall be no longer mine.

Take my heart, it is Thine own,

It shall be Thy royal throne.

6. Take my love, my Lord, I pour

At Thy feet its treasure store.

Take myself and I will be

Ever, only, all for Thee.

Open Heavens Daily Devotional by Pastor E.A. Adeboye

 Prayer Points on Today’s Open Heavens: (Tuesday, December 15, 2020) - 

Do You Really Love God?

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, 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 first loving me, in that, while I was yet a sinner, You gave Your son, Jesus, to die for me.

2.Thank You, Father, for the precious blood of Jesus that was shed at Calvary for the redemption of my soul from eternal destruction.

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

4.Father, give me the grace to reciprocate my love for You, by loving You with all my heart, soul and mind, in Jesus' name.

5.Father, give me also the grace to love my neighbour as myself, in Jesus' name.

6.Father, please, let Your fire consume every spirit of disobedience and self-will in my life, and empower me to do Your perfect Will, in Jesus' name.

7.Father, help me to meditate day and night on Your word, and make me not a forgetful hearer, that I may not sin against You, in Jesus' name.

8.Father, empower me to obey You in all things and to keep all Your commandments, in Jesus' name.

9.Father, fill me to the brim with Your Holy Spirit, and make my life Your permanent place of abode, in Jesus' name.

10.Father, bless your son, Pastor E.A.Adeboye; and, grant all his heart's desires and prayers, 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: TUESDAY 15TH DECEMBER 2020.

THEME: DO YOU REALLY LOVE GOD?

MEMORISE:

For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.

1 John 5:3

READ: John 14:21-24

21 He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.

22 Judas saith unto him, not Iscariot, Lord, how is it that thou wilt manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the world?

23 Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.

24 He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father's which sent me.

MESSAGE:

God our Father, the creator of the world, always knows what is best for us. He knows how we should conduct ourselves and live a perfect life. In the beginning (after the fall of man in the garden of Eden), man became a free moral agent, doing whatever pleased him. However, because man is a spirit, he began to experience a deep spiritual yearning for his creator whom he lost connection with, due to the fall. The Bible says in Genesis 4:26 that “……..then began men to call upon the name of the LORD.” However, due to man’s sinful nature, they could not call upon God effectively on their own terms. To bridge this gap and help man do it right, God gave the ten commandments using the Israelites as the initial recipients. These commandments help us to know the general will of God for us daily. Jesus gave the basic summary of the commandments in Matthew 22:37-40:

“………Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.  On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.”

According to our memory verse, the commandments of God are not grievous. However, the fallen nature of Man prompts people to do everything against God’s will now and again. Jesus said in John 14:21

“ He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.”

The Bible verse above is a great litmus test. Do you really love God?

You cannot claim to love God if you do not have His commandments in your heart (Psalm 119:11).

You cannot claim to love God if you do not obey His commandments (John 14:15).

If we love God indeed, it will show in our obedience to His commandments which are not grievous, especially when compared to the weight and consequences of sin.

PRAYER POINT:

Lord, help me access the grace to obey Your commandments, in the mighty name of Jesus.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:  Ephesians 1-6

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE 

HYMN 30: WHEN WE WALK WITH THE LORD.

1. When we walk with the Lord in the light of His Word,

What a glory He sheds on our way!

While we do His good will, He abides with us still,

And with all who will trust and obey.

Refrain:

Trust and obey, for there’s no other way

To be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.

2. Not a shadow can rise, not a cloud in the skies,

But His smile quickly drives it away;

Not a doubt or a fear, not a sigh or a tear,

Can abide while we trust and obey.

3. Not a burden we bear, not a sorrow we share,

But our toil He doth richly repay;

Not a grief or a loss, not a frown or a cross,

But is blessed if we trust and obey.

4. But we never can prove the delights of His love

Until all on the altar we lay;

For the favor He shows, for the joy He bestows,

Are for them who will trust and obey.

5. Then in fellowship sweet we will sit at His feet,

Or we’ll walk by His side in the way;

What He says we will do, where He sends we will go;

Never fear, only trust and obey.

Open Heavens Prayer Points

 Prayer Points on Today’s Open Heavens: (Monday, December 14, 2020) 

Wait On The Lord 

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, 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.Father, You're the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, You're the all in all, who knows the end from the beginning of all things; You're the Mighty man in battle!

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

3.Father, as Your child, nothing happens to me, without Your knowledge, please, let all things work together for my good, as I place my trust in You, in Jesus' name.

4.Father, give me the grace to always seek Your face for direction and guidance, and, patiently wait on You, no matter the level of attack, harassments or provocations from the pit of hell, in Jesus' name.

5.Father, cripple every human agent, physically, financially, materially and spiritually, that has made himself or herself a willing tool in the hands of the devil, to use, to touch or harm any of Your anointed servants, if he or she fails to repent, in Jesus' name.

6.Father, arise, and contend with every power sponsoring evil decisions and lies against me; expose, disgrace and paralyse them, in Jesus' name.

7.Father, let every evil, being planned against me in the dark be exposed by Your light, and be scattered; and, let it  boomerang upon the enemies, in Jesus' name.

8.Father, let every evil thought and wicked imaginations against me wither from the source; let it never see the light of the day, in Jesus' name

9.Father, I pursue, I overtake and I recover all that the devil has stolen from me, in Jesus' name.

10.Father, bless your son, Pastor E.A.Adeboye; strengthen him spiritually, and shield him from every evil arrow and attack from the pit of hell, 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 14TH DECEMBER 2020.

THEME: WAIT ON THE LORD.

MEMORISE:

 I waited patiently for the LORD; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry.

Psalm 40:1

READ: 1 Samuel 30:1-19

And it came to pass, when David and his men were come to Ziklag on the third day, that the Amalekites had invaded the south, and Ziklag, and smitten Ziklag, and burned it with fire;

2 And had taken the women captives, that were therein: they slew not any, either great or small, but carried them away, and went on their way.

3 So David and his men came to the city, and, behold, it was burned with fire; and their wives, and their sons, and their daughters, were taken captives.

4 Then David and the people that were with him lifted up their voice and wept, until they had no more power to weep.

5 And David's two wives were taken captives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the wife of Nabal the Carmelite.

6 And David was greatly distressed; for the people spake of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters: but David encouraged himself in the LORD his God.

7 And David said to Abiathar the priest, Ahimelech's son, I pray thee, bring me hither the ephod. And Abiathar brought thither the ephod to David.

8 And David enquired at the LORD, saying, Shall I pursue after this troop? shall I overtake them? And he answered him, Pursue: for thou shalt surely overtake them, and without fail recover all.

9 So David went, he and the six hundred men that were with him, and came to the brook Besor, where those that were left behind stayed.

10 But David pursued, he and four hundred men: for two hundred abode behind, which were so faint that they could not go over the brook Besor.

11 And they found an Egyptian in the field, and brought him to David, and gave him bread, and he did eat; and they made him drink water;

12 And they gave him a piece of a cake of figs, and two clusters of raisins: and when he had eaten, his spirit came again to him: for he had eaten no bread, nor drunk any water, three days and three nights.

13 And David said unto him, To whom belongest thou? and whence art thou? And he said, I am a young man of Egypt, servant to an Amalekite; and my master left me, because three days agone I fell sick.

14 We made an invasion upon the south of the Cherethites, and upon the coast which belongeth to Judah, and upon the south of Caleb; and we burned Ziklag with fire.

15 And David said to him, Canst thou bring me down to this company? And he said, Swear unto me by God, that thou wilt neither kill me, nor deliver me into the hands of my master, and I will bring thee down to this company.

16 And when he had brought him down, behold, they were spread abroad upon all the earth, eating and drinking, and dancing, because of all the great spoil that they had taken out of the land of the Philistines, and out of the land of Judah.

17 And David smote them from the twilight even unto the evening of the next day: and there escaped not a man of them, save four hundred young men, which rode upon camels, and fled.

18 And David recovered all that the Amalekites had carried away: and David rescued his two wives.

19 And there was nothing lacking to them, neither small nor great, neither sons nor daughters, neither spoil, nor any thing that they had taken to them: David recovered all.

MESSAGE:

Every believer should understand and practice waiting on the Lord. In our Bible reading for today, we see that during David’s travails and exile, his base was raided while he was away with his men. All their property, wives and children were raided without mercy. One arrival, they were overwhelmed with grief so much so that they wept. Any other person would have automatically pursued the perpetrators of such an act immediately, but as we had noted in an earlier study, David sought the face of God for direction and waited on Him even though that did not seem like the smartest thing to do at the time.

The smartest and bravest move that would have been expected of valiant soldiers like David and his men would have been to ensure that they did not waste any further time in going after the enemy.

Ordinarily, the more time they wasted, the slimmer their chances of ever catching up and recovering their loved ones and belongings. David however, decide to wait patiently upon God and receive His instructions, approval and blessing before making any move.

The Bible records that upon getting God’s word on the matter, they swung into action. Verse 19 on the same chapter reads:

“And there was nothing lacking to them, neither small nor great, neither sons nor daughters, neither spoil, nor any thing that they had taken to them: David recovered all.”

Your recovery in life, ministry, career and business might just be dependent on you waiting on the Lord for instruction before taking decisions. Waiting on the Lord includes prayer, fasting and usually, patience which is where most believers miss it. God is the all-in-all who knows the end from the beginning. There is no risk in waiting on the Lord.

As David found strength to recover all by waiting on the Lord, this season may you also find strength for exploits in the mighty name of Jesus.

As David pursued after his enemies and recovered all they had stolen, so will you recover every lost opportunity and blessing, in the mighty name of Jesus.

Put God first always and wait patiently upon Him in every area of your life. He will never disappoint you.

ACTION POINT:

Wait on the Lord. You will surely testify, in the mighty name of Jesus.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:  Colossians 1-4

Philemon 1

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!