Open Heavens Daily Devotional by Pastor E.A. Adeboye

 OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL

DATE:   THURSDAY 25TH MARCH 2021.

THEME:  SIGNS OF BACKSLIDING IV.

MEMORISE:

 The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; and he that winneth souls is wise.            

Proverbs 11:30

READ:  John 15:4-5   

4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.

5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.

MESSAGE:

“Then will I teach transgressors thy ways; and sinners shall be converted unto thee.”   Psalm51:13

We are focusing on Psalm 51 today because it is the prayer of David after he backslid. It is the sincere prayer of a backslide asking for restoration. In the Bible passage quoted above, David said that if God should restore him, he would teach sinners His way. This shows that he had not been witnessing during the period in which he had fallen. When you find out that you are reluctant to win souls, you are already backsliding.

Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, thou God of my salvation: and my tongue shall sing aloud of thy righteousness. O Lord open thou my lips; and my mouth shall shew forth thy praise.      Psalm 51:14-15

Another sign of backsliding is when praising God becomes a casual thing to a believer. David said in the passage above that if God restored him, he would praise Him. This is somebody who the Bible says used to dance with all his might for God, but because he had fallen into sin, even singing became a problem.

You can't deceive God. When was the last time you worshipped God from the depth of your heart? Check your salvation, is it still intact? Is your fire still burning bright? Are you as hot as you used to be or are you becoming lukewarm? Are you sleeping when you are supposed to be at the war front for the Lord Jesus Christ?  Answer these questions honesty within yourself.

I cried to God when I read about how David was relaxing at the time when kings go to war (2 Samuel 11:1-4). This is the man that said, "If nobody will fight Goliath, I will go". Each time I read of how he slept when he should have been at war, I   cry " Father, don't let my case be like this". Ask yourself, when as the last time you won a soul for God? When was the last time you were willing to go out into territories no one would want to go to, preaching the gospel and not caring for your life? Are you sure that you are not sleeping when a war is going on?

The devil is waging a war to snatch your soul from the Lord (1 Peter 5:8); wake up from your slumber and return to your first love.

PRAYER POINT:

Father, help me to be vigilant at all times and to be passionate about winning souls for Your kingdom in the mighty name of Jesus.    

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Numbers 1-2

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE 

HYMN 21:  ROCK OF AGES, CLEFT FOR ME

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.

 

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.

 

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.

 

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.

Open Heavens Prayer Points

 Prayer Points on Today’s Open Heavens: (Wednesday, March 24, 2021) - 

SIGNS OF BACKSLIDING 3 

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 Your promise to uphold me, till the end, by Your right hand of righteousness, without blemish or wrinkle.

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

3.Father, let every spirit of lukewarmness and prayerlessness that have crept into my life be consumed by Your fire, in Jesus' name.

4.Father, please, rekindle the fire of Your revival in all areas of my life, in Jesus' name.

5.Father, restore my spiritual eyes and ears, in the mighty name of Jesus.

6.Father, let every spirit of stubbornness and indifference to Your warnings and impending judgements, in my life, be consumed by Your fire, in Jesus' name.

7.Father, release upon my life the power to pray without ceasing; give me the grace to always spend quality time with You, in prayers, in Jesus' name.

8.Father, have mercy upon me; please, let me not be a castaway, after preaching to others, in Jesus' name.

9.Father, please, heal every inch of backsliding in my life, in Jesus' name.

10.Father, bless your son, Pastor E.A.Adeboye, and renew Your anointing upon his life, daily, 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.

Note:

You may not add, subtract or rearrange these prayer points. The Holy Spirit is the author, though He used someone, who, out of humility has refused to take glory for it, by not putting his name. It is plagiarism to use, or pass as your own, someone's else writing or work. The original author of these prayer points is the Holy Spirit. So, share, but don't share His glory with Him in the process. Remain blessed, as you obey, in Jesus' name.

Open Heavens Daily Devotional by Pastor E.A. Adeboye

 OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL

DATE:   WEDNESDAY 24TH MARCH 2021.

THEME:  SIGNS OF BACKSLIDING III.

MEMORISE:

And Samuel told him every whit, and hid nothing from him. And he said, It is the Lord: let him do what seemeth him good.                                                                                                          1 Samuel 3:18

READ:  1 Samuel 3:10-18

10 And the Lord came, and stood, and called as at other times, Samuel, Samuel. Then Samuel answered, Speak; for thy servant heareth.

11 And the Lord said to Samuel, Behold, I will do a thing in Israel, at which both the ears of every one that heareth it shall tingle.

12 In that day I will perform against Eli all things which I have spoken concerning his house: when I begin, I will also make an end.

13 For I have told him that I will judge his house for ever for the iniquity which he knoweth; because his sons made themselves vile, and he restrained them not.

14 And therefore I have sworn unto the house of Eli, that the iniquity of Eli's house shall not be purged with sacrifice nor offering for ever.

15 And Samuel lay until the morning, and opened the doors of the house of the Lord. And Samuel feared to shew Eli the vision.

16 Then Eli called Samuel, and said, Samuel, my son. And he answered, Here am I.

17 And he said, What is the thing that the Lord hath said unto thee? I pray thee hide it not from me: God do so to thee, and more also, if thou hide any thing from me of all the things that he said unto thee.

18 And Samuel told him every whit, and hid nothing from him. And he said, It is the Lord: let him do what seemeth him good.

MESSAGE:

When you discover that it is difficult for you to pray, you are already backsliding. One of the most

distressing passages I have ever read in the Bible is 1 Samuel 3:10-18. God wanted to wipe out the house of Eli· He bypassed Eli to tell Samuel. That is one sign that Eli was hardly praying anymore, because if he were, God would have told him instead. When someone who used to hear from God no longer hears from Him, that may be a sign that he has started backsliding. Samuel told Eli what God said and Eli replied, "He is the Lord; let Him do as He pleases". That statement is distressing because I would have expected Eli to go on his knees and cry to God for mercy. According to the elders, it is a goat that would hear about the day of his death and keep on eating. Eli heard that God was going to cut off his lineage and all he had to say was "He is God, let Him do whatever He pleases". That's similar to the goat's attitude described above. Jesus Christ is the Great Shepherd of sheep and not goats. Any sheep that

begins to behave like a goat has left the flock of Christ.

When a Christian gets bored after praying for five minutes, there is definitely something wrong. You will always enjoy spending time alone with someone you love. If you still love Jesus, one hour to fellowship with Him will not seem like punishment.  How is it that prayer has now become a burden?

There was a period in my life where I had drawn far from God without noticing it.  One day, God asked "Do you remember when you would be driving and praising Me? Then My Spirit would fill your car so strongly that tears would begin to run down your face, and you would have to park the car for a while before continuing on your journey?" I said ''Yes Lord, I remember but You know it is difficult now. I have a driver now and if he sees tears dropping from my eyes, he would think there is something wrong with me". God replied "Oh, so I made a mistake by giving you a driver, right?" I quickly apologized and promised to resume fellowship with Him. I waited until it was midnight when everyone, including my wife, was asleep, then snuck out of the house to fellowship alone with God. Just as I started singing, tears fell from my eyes. I did not realize how much I had missed God. I did not realize how far I had drifted away from Him.

How fervent is your prayer life? Your response would tell if you have started drifting away from God.

REFLECTION:

Do you still enjoy spending time alone with God.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Romans 14-16

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE 

HYMN 24: TAKE MY LIFE, AND LET IT BE.

Take my life and let it be

Consecrated, Lord, to Thee.

Take my moments and my days,

Let them flow in endless praise.

 

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.

 

Take my voice and let me sing,

Always, only for my King.

Take my lips and let them be

Filled with messages from Thee.

 

Take my silver and my gold,

Not a mite would I withhold.

Take my intellect and use

Every pow’r as Thou shalt choose.

 

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.

 

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 Prayer Points

 Prayer Points on Today’s Open Heavens: (Tuesday, March 23, 2021) - 

SIGNS OF BACKSLIDING 2 

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.I worship and adore, You, my Father, for You're such a holy God that Your face cannot behold iniquity in anyone.

2.Thank You, Father, for Your promise to uphold me by Your right hand of righteousness, till the end.

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

4.Father, sanctify, cleanse and purge me from all unrighteousness and, from immoral and unclean thoughts, in Jesus' name.

5.Father, create in me a clean heart, and renew a right spirit within me, in the mighty name of Jesus.

6.Father, cast me not away from Your presence; and take not Your holy spirit from me, in the mighty name of Jesus.

7.Father, heal every inch of backsliding in my life, and draw me back unto You, in Jesus' name.

8.Father, whatever is drawing me far from You, please remove it from my life today; if I am holding on to it too much, remove it by force, in the Mighty name of Jesus.

9.Father, uphold me by Your right hand of righteousness, till the end, without blemish or wrinkle, in Jesus' name.

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

Note:

You may not add, subtract or rearrange these prayer points. The Holy Spirit is the author, though He used someone, who, out of humility has refused to take glory for it, by not putting his name. It is plagiarism to use, or pass as your own, someone's else writing or work. The original author of these prayer points is the Holy Spirit. So, share, but don't share His glory with Him in the process. Remain blessed, as you obey, in Jesus' name.

Open Heavens Daily Devotional by Pastor E.A. Adeboye

 OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL

DATE:   TUESDAY 23RD MARCH 2021.

THEME:  SIGNS OF BACKSLIDING II.

MEMORISE:

Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.                                                       Matthew 5:8

READ:  Matthew7:  17-18

17 Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.

18 A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.

MESSAGE:

A major sign of backsliding is when you discover that your mind is constantly filled with immoral thoughts. A backsliding believer would have all manner of sinful thoughts flow through his or her mind. When David backslide, he cried to God for restoration, saying:

“Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.”                             Psalm 51 :10

His heart had become dirty.  He discovered that immoral thoughts now filled his heart. When you begin to harbor immoral thoughts or suddenly become comfortable in revealing clothes, it is a sign that your heart is far from God. In the past, nobody would need to point out a harlot or a thug, they would be easily identified from their dressing. These days, we have professing Christians who dress like harlots and thugs.

When a person backslides, all of a sudden, God seems to be very far from the fellow. Don't blame Him; His word says:

“Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts,

Ye double minded.                                                                                                         James 4:8

When you are no longer intimate with God, what do you expect Him to do? David cried in Psalm 51:11 :

“Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me.”

When Jesus bore the sins of the world on the cross, He had to cry out: ••• My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?                                                                                                                      Mark15:34

God moved away because He cannot be hold sin (Habakkuk 1:13) and He would also depart from any believer who harbors iniquity.

The Holy Spirit cannot stay with someone who is frolicking with sin; He is the Holy Spirit, not an unholy spirit. When you stop reading your Bible daily, you stop praying, you stop witnessing, you reduce your attendance of fellowships, you are drawing far from God. This is the beginning of backsliding and it won't be long before sin creeps in.

Are any of these signs of backsliding evident in your life? Address them today.

PRAYER POINT:

Father, whatever Is drawing me far from   You, please remove it from my life today. If I am holding on  to it  too much, remove it by force, in the Mighty name of Jesus.    

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Romans 11-13

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE 

HYMN 4: CONQUERORS AND OVERCOMERS NOW ARE WE.

Conquerors and overcomers now are we,

Thro’ the precious blood of Christ we’ve victory,

If the Lord be for us, we can never fail;

Nothing ‘gainst his mighty pow’r can e’er prevail.

Refrain:

Conquerors are we, thro’ the blood, thro’ the blood;

God will give us victory, thro’ the blood, thro’ the blood,

Thro’ the Lamb for sinners slain,

Yet who lives and reigns again,

More than conquerors are we,

More than conquerors are we.

In the name of Israel’s God we’ll onward press,

Overcoming sin and all unrighteousness;

Not to us, but unto him the praise shall be,

For salvation and for blood-bought victory.

Refrain

Unto him that overcometh shall be giv’n

Here to eat of hidden manna sent from heav’n;

Over yonder he the victor’s palm shall bear,

And a robe of white, and golden crown shall wear.

Refrain

Open Heavens Prayer Points

 Prayer Points on Today’s Open Heavens: (Monday, March 22, 2021) - 

SIGNS OF BACKSLIDING I 

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.I worship and adore You, my Father; You're, the Prince of Peace, my redeemer, my restorer and my Hope of glory.

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

3.Father, restore unto me the joy of Your salvation, and uphold me with Your free spirit, in Jesus' name.

4.Father, heal every inch of backsliding in my life, in Jesus' name.

5.Father, order my steps in Your word, and, let no iniquity take dominion over me, in Jesus' name.

6.Father, let Your peace that passes all human understanding possess and envelope my heart at all times, in Jesus' name.

7.Father, in the midst of life's challenges and storms, let me experience Your peace like a river, in Jesus' name.

8.Father, let every source of bitter water and sorrow, that has crept into my life and destiny, dry up today, in Jesus' name.

9.Father, frustrate every further plans and activities of Satan to steal my joy, happiness and peace, in Jesus' name.

10.Father, bless your son, Pastor E.A.Adeboye and perfect everything concerning his life, ministry and family, 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.

Note:

You may not add, subtract or rearrange these prayer points. The Holy Spirit is the author, though He used someone, who, out of humility has refused to take glory for it, by not putting his name. It is plagiarism to use, or pass as your own, someone's else writing or work. The original author of these prayer points is the Holy Spirit. So, share, but don't share His glory with Him in the process. Remain blessed, as you obey, in Jesus' name.

Open Heavens Daily Devotional by Pastor E.A. Adeboye

 OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL

DATE:   MONDAY 22ND MARCH 2021.

THEME:  SIGNS OF BACKSLIDING I.

MEMORISE:

Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit.              

Psalm 51:12

READ:  2 Corinthians 13:5-8

5 Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?

6 But I trust that ye shall know that we are not reprobates.

7 Now I pray to God that ye do no evil; not that we should appear approved, but that ye should do that which is honest, though we be as reprobates.

8 For we can do nothing against the truth, but for the truth.

MESSAGE:

It is possible that even after being born again for a number of years, a person could backslide and

not even notice. There are many people who attend Church regularly but actually belong in the camp of the devil. The devil does not hinder this category of people from going to Church because he knows that if he does, the brethren will follow them up and snatch them from him. Hence, this set of people would appear to still be standing in faith, whereas they had long fallen. What are some of the signs that would show if you are already backsliding?

The first sign of backsliding is the sudden realization that the joy of salvation you once had is gone. If you can remember those early days when you just became born again, how you used to bubble with joy, and somehow, that joy is no longer there, check your faith. David said in Psalm 51:12:

“Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; an uphold me  with thy free spirit.”

David had clearly lost the joy he once felt when he was still standing. If you go back to the sins you’ve forsaken, you would lose the joy of your salvation and sorrow will come. Have you lost the joy of your salvation? Do you still sing and radiate the same joy you once felt when you got born again? Hebrews 1:9 says:

“Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows.”

There is a link between righteousness and joy. The moment iniquity comes into your life, joy leaves and sorrow takes over. If you have noticed the absence of joy in your life, check your salvation.

Another sign of backsliding is the departure of peace from the life of a believer. One of the first things people experience when they give their lives to Christ is peace. Philippians 4:7 calls it the peace of God that passes all understanding. Even if the sea roars, the storm rages and the people around you are trembling, you will have peace like a river as long as you remain connected to the Prince of peace. However, the moment you begin to backslide, this divine peace departs even when everything looks aright around you.

Remember, there is no peace for the wicked (Isaiah 48:22).

ACTION POINT:

Do you still  feel the same peace you and  joy you did when you became a born again? If not, cry to God     for restoration now.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Romans 8-10

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE 

HYMN 2:  AMAZING GRACE, HOW SWEET THE SOUND.

Amazing grace! How sweet the sound

That saved a wretch like me!

I once was lost, but now am found;

Was blind, but now I see.

 

’Twas grace that taught my heart to fear,

And grace my fears relieved;

How precious did that grace appear

The hour I first believed.

 

Through many dangers, toils, and snares,

I have already come;

’Tis grace hath brought me safe thus far,

And grace will lead me home.

 

The Lord has promised good to me,

His Word my hope secures;

He will my Shield and Portion be,

As long as life endures.

 

Yea, when this flesh and heart shall fail,

And mortal life shall cease,

I shall possess, within the veil,

A life of joy and peace.

 

The earth shall soon dissolve like snow,

The sun forbear to shine;

But God, who called me here below,

Will be forever mine.

 

When we’ve been there ten thousand years,

Bright shining as the sun,

We’ve no less days to sing God’s praise

Than when we’d first begun.