Open Heavens Daily Devotional by Pastor E.A. Adeboye

OPEN HEAVEN DAILY DEVOTIONAL

DATE: TUESDAY 8TH FEBRUARY 2022

THEME: LIVING IN GLORY V

MEMORISE

 “But upon Mount Zion shall be those who escaped; and it shall be holy. And the house of Jacob shall possess their own possessions.”                                      Obadiah 1:17 

 

READ: Mark 5:1-15

1 And they came over to the other side of the sea, to the country of the Gadarenes.

2 And when He had come out of the boat, immediately a man with unclean spirits met Him out of the tombs,

3 who had his dwelling among the tombs. And no one could bind him, no, not with chains

4 because he had often been bound with fetters and chains, and the chains had been torn apart by him, and the fetters broken in pieces. Nor could anyone subdue him.

5 And always, night and day, he was in the mountains and in the tombs, crying and cutting himself with stones.

6 And when he saw Jesus afar off, he ran and worshiped Him,

7 and cried with a loud voice, and said, What is to me and to You, Jesus, son of the Most High God? I adjure You by God not to torment me.

8 For He said to him, Come out of the man, unclean spirit!

9 And He asked him, What is your name? And he answered, saying, My name is Legion, for we are many.

10 And he begged Him very much that He would not send them outside the country.

11 And a great herd of pigs was feeding near the mountains.

12 And all the demons begged Him, saying, Send us into the pigs, that we may enter into them.

13 And immediately Jesus allowed them. And the unclean spirits went out and entered into the pigs. And the herd ran violently down a steep place into the sea (they were about two thousand), and were choked in the sea.

14 And the ones who fed the pigs fled and told it in the city and in the country. And they went out to see what it was that was done.

15 And they came to Jesus and saw him who had been demon-possessed, and had the legion, sitting and clothed and right-minded, the one who had the legion. And they were afraid.

 

MESSAGE

Bondage is the condition of being dominated by sin-fleshly lusts, or demonic powers.  Bondage refers to any situation contrary to God’s plan and purpose for man, according to Genesis 1:27-28.  It is anything that binds a fellow in the torment of fear (Hebrews 2: 15).  Bondage of any kind has one purpose – to shame and disgrace.  Incidentally, bondage is usually not forced, as we see in the case of Adam and Eve (Genesis 3:19). People usually become enslaved through the wrong choices they make in life. Consequently, many live by choice under the control of demonic powers, hard drugs and other forms of addiction like money, alcohol, sex, and worldly pleasures, without any idea that they are in bondage. That is why 2 Peter 2:19 says: 

  ".... for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage."

Furthermore, Romans 6 : 16 says: "Know ye not that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?"

No matter what you are passing through, you can make a decision now that will change the course of your life forever.  All you need to do is reject sin and evil, then embrace God and righteousness.

There is nothing glorious about living in bondage.  Physical bondage includes poverty, sickness, failure, a sinful lifestyle, and addictions. Spiritual bondage includes demonic possession, being remotely controlled or tied down, being under the influence and experiencing situations that are not observable or physically explicable, as seen in the case of the mad man of Gadara in our Bible reading today.  The good news is that Jesus came to this world for the purpose of restoring freedom to man in line with John 10:10 and Luke 4:18.

As you reject Satan and submit to Jesus today, He will make you whole and deliver you completely form all forms of bondage, in Jesus’ name.

PRAYER POINT

Father, please deliver me from everything blocking the manifestation of Your glory in my life in Jesus name.

Click here for TODAY'S OPEN HEAVENS PRAYER POINTS.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Leviticus 24-26

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A ADEBOYE

HYMN 12: 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

O 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

O may my love to thee

Pure, warm, and changeless be

A living fire!

 3. When 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

O bear me safe above

A ransomed soul!

Open Heavens Prayer Points

PRAYER POINTS ON TODAY'S OPEN HEAVENS:

(Monday, February 7, 2022)

LIVING IN GLORY 4.

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 the salvation of my soul, and for all Your unfailing promises in my life.

2.Thank You, Father, for Your promise, never to leave nor forsake me.

3.Father, in anyway I have fallen short of your glory, please, have mercy and forgive me; let Your mercy prevail over any judgement of sin in my life, in Jesus' name.

4.Father, please forgive me for backsliding and make me abide in You forever, in Jesus' name.

5.Father, please, uphold me by Your right hand of righteousness, till the end, in Jesus' name.

6.Father, whenever the temptation to go back into the world comes my way, please, quickly make a way of escape for me, in Jesus' name.

7.Father, restore every inch of backsliding in me, in Jesus' name.

8.I reject every bait that the enemies have been using to draw me away from Your presence, in Jesus' name.

9.I decree that I will not fail, I will not fall; no matter how hard the enemies may try, in Jesus' name.

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

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

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

13.Your Personal petitions.

( Philippians 4:6)

14. In Jesus' name I pray.

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

15.Thank you Father for answered prayers.

(1 Thessalonians 5:18).

#GodBlessOurNation

Please, share the Word of God.

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 HEAVEN DAILY DEVOTIONAL

DATE: MONDAY 7TH FEBRUARY 2022

THEME: LIVING IN GLORY IV

MEMORISE  

 “I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons,”...

                                                                            Luke 15:7

READ: Luke 15: 1-24

1 And all the tax-collectors and sinners drew near to Him in order to hear Him.

2 And the Pharisees and scribes murmured, saying, This man receives sinners and eats with them.

3 And He spoke this parable to them, saying,

4 What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness and go after that which is lost until he finds it?

5 And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing.

6 And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost.

7 I say to you that likewise joy shall be in Heaven over one sinner who repents, more than over ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance.

8 Or what woman having ten drachmas, if she loses one drachma, does she not light a lamp and sweep the house, and seek carefully until she finds it?

9 And when she has found it, she calls her friends and her neighbors together, saying, Rejoice with me, for I have found the drachma which I had lost.

10 Likewise I say to you, there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents.

11 And He said, A certain man had two sons.

12 And the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the portion of goods that is coming to me. And he divided his living to them.

13 And not many days afterward, the younger son gathered all together and went away into a far country. And there he wasted his property, living dissolutely.

14 And when he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine in that land. And he began to be in want.

15 And he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country. And he sent him into his fields to feed pigs.

16 And he was longing to fill his belly with the husks that the pigs ate, and no one gave to him.

17 And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father abound in loaves, and I perish with hunger!

18 I will arise and go to my father, and will say to him, Father, I have sinned against Heaven and before you

19 and am no more worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired servants.

20 And he arose and came to his father. But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him.

21 And the son said to him, Father, I have sinned against Heaven and before you, and am no more worthy to be called your son.

22 But the father said to his servants, Bring the best robe and put it on him. And put a ring on his hand and shoes on his feet.

23 And bring the fattened calf here and kill it. And let us eat and be merry,

24 for this my son was dead and is alive again, he was lost and is found. And they began to be merry.

MESSAGE

Backsliding is the act of becoming slack in spiritual commitment and not being fervent in the things of God.  It means turning back from following God’s ways and guidance, forsaking His laws and commandments (Isaiah 1 : 4).  It is a spiritual defection that grieves God, as it is a form of rebellion and adultery before Him (Jeremiah 3: 8).  Backsliders are likely to forget God’s mighty works in their lives, ignore His counsel, and reject His instructions (Psalm 78:11 Psalm 107:11), Isaiah 30:9).  Backsliders are children of God who had repented of their sinful acts and turned a new leaf, but then relapse into their former ungodly ways.  Backsliding is, therefore, like abandoning one’s faith, as we have learnt from the lessons of the past three days, there is nothing glorious in backsliding.  If anyone is in doubt, let the fellow find out from King Saul, who once prophesied by the Spirit of God but ended up being tormented by an evil spirit.

Backsliding is so terrible that it can invoke God’s anger. In 2 Samuel 12:25, the Bible says, “And he sent by the hand of Nathan the prophet; and he called his name Jedidiah, because of the Lord”. Jedidiah means “beloved of the Lord”. However, in 1Kings 11:9, the Bible says, “And the Lord was angry with Solomon, because his heart was turned from the lord God of Israel, which had appeared unto him twice.”  Backsliding ignited the anger of God against Solomon, despite His initial love and affection for him at birth and early life.  God reacted to the backsliding of the nation of Israel similarly, according to  Psalm 78:57-59 which says, “But turned back, and dealt unfaithfully like their fathers… When God heard this, he was wroth, And greatly abhorred Israel”.

To return to living a glorious life in Christ however, a backslider must do the following:  Accept Jesus as personal Lord and Saviour, repent of and forsake every sin, and begin to testify to the mercy of God that restored him or her.

Have you fallen from glory to shame?  Return to the Lord, and He will welcome you with open  arms, as we saw in our Bible reading today.

God bless you.

PRAYER POINT

Father, please forgive me for backsliding and make me abide in You forever in Jesus name

Click here for TODAY'S OPEN HEAVENS PRAYER POINTS.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Leviticus 22-23

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A ADEBOYE

HYMN 28: 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 blest 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,

And 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:

(Sunday, February 6, 2022)

LIVING IN GLORY 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 sending Your son, Jesus to Calvary, to shed His blood for the redemption of my soul from eternal destruction in hell fire.

2.Thank You, Father, for opening my eyes further, through today's devotional, to see that sin is such an abomination to You that one has to pay the supreme sacrifice of death, for it!!!!

3.Father, in anyway I have fallen short of your glory, please, have mercy and forgive me; let Your mercy prevail over any judgement of sin in my life, in Jesus name.

4.Father, please, forever, order my steps in Your word, and let no iniquity have dominion over me, in Jesus name.

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

6.Father, please, free me from every entanglement of sin and release upon my life the "power to go and sin no more", in Jesus name.

7.Father, please, replace every stony heart in my life, with the heart of flesh, and, henceforth, help me not to harden my heart against Your word, in Jesus name.

8.Father, please set me totally free from sin and all its consequences, by Your grace and mercy, in Jesus’ name.

9.Father, please, uphold me till the end, by Your right hand of righteousness, and let me see You in glory, in Jesus name.

10.Father, bless your son, Pastor Enoch Adejare Adeboye, and, keep him undefiled, without blemish, wrinkle or spot, till the end, in Jesus name.

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

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

13.Your Personal petitions.

( Philippians 4:6)

14.In Jesus name I pray.

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

15.Thank you Father for answered prayers.

(1 Thessalonians 5:18).

#GodBlessOurNation

Please, share the Word of God.

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 HEAVEN DAILY DEVOTIONAL

DATE: SUNDAY 6TH FEBRUARY 2022

THEME: LIVING IN GLORY III

MEMORISE: 

For there is hope of a tree, if it be cut down, that it will sprout again, and that the tender branch thereof will not cease. 

Job 14:7

READ: Luke 7:36-48.

36 And one of the Pharisees desired him that he would eat with him. And he went into the Pharisee's house, and sat down to meat.

37 And, behold, a woman in the city, which was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at meat in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster box of ointment,

38 And stood at his feet behind him weeping, and began to wash his feet with tears, and did wipe them with the hairs of her head, and kissed his feet, and anointed them with the ointment.

39 Now when the Pharisee which had bidden him saw it, he spake within himself, saying, This man, if he were a prophet, would have known who and what manner of woman this is that toucheth him: for she is a sinner.

40 And Jesus answering said unto him, Simon, I have somewhat to say unto thee. And he saith, Master, say on.

41There was a certain creditor which had two debtors: the one owed five hundred pence, and the other fifty.

42 And when they had nothing to pay, he frankly forgave them both. Tell me therefore, which of them will love him most?

43 Simon answered and said, I suppose that he, to whom he forgave most. And he said unto him, Thou hast rightly judged.

44 And he turned to the woman, and said unto Simon, Seest thou this woman? I entered into thine house, thou gavest me no water for my feet: but she hath washed my feet with tears, and wiped them with the hairs of her head.

45 Thou gavest me no kiss: but this woman since the time I came in hath not ceased to kiss my feet.

46 My head with oil thou didst not anoint: but this woman hath anointed my feet with ointment.

47 Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little.

48 And he said unto her, Thy sins are forgiven.

MESSAGE

From the time of creation to date, sin or disobedience to God has been the greatest mistake man has ever made. God frowns at all sin no matter how we choose to categorize them. It is bad enough when sin is committed from time to time, even in ignorance. However, it becomes even worse when sinfulness becomes a lifestyle. The Bible refers to such people as stiff-necked, reprobate, unrepentant sinners, backsliders, or children of perdition. Living in sin is so abominable to God that it carries the ultimate penalty. That is why Romans 6:23 says, "For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."

There is nothing glorious in living a sinful lifestyle. The following Bible passages speak volumes about God's hatred for sin. Psalms 104:35 “Let the sinners be consumed out of the earth, and let the wicked be no more........" Isaiah 3:11 also says, "Woe unto the wicked! it shall be ill with him: for the reward of his hands shall be given him." Ecclesiastes 8:13 "But it shall not be well with the wicked, neither shall he prolong his days, which are as a shadow; because he feareth not before God." Finally, Hosea 4:7 also says, "As they were increased, so they sinned against me: therefore will I change their glory into shame."

God's view of sin and its judgement against sinners is clearly revealed in the above bible passages. Hence, separation from God which is spiritual death, termination of life which is physical death, condemnation to eternity in hell which is the second death and other terrible consequences, awaits everyone living in sin in this world. I am therefore appealing that you come to Jesus today and be converted, so that you may receive help to stop living a sinful lifestyle. 

In today's Bible reading, the woman seemed to know that coming to Jesus would transform her life positively. She was unwavering in her pursuit of the Savior, and in return for her seed of love, she reaped mercy and pardon. Whosoever come to Jesus shall not be disappointed. Come to Jesus today!

PRAYER POINT

Father, please set me totally free from sin by Your grace and mercy in Jesus’ name.

Click here for TODAY'S OPEN HEAVENS PRAYER POINTS.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: LEVITICUS 19-21.

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A ADEBOYE

HYMN 23: THAT WONDERFUL NAME, JESUS.

1. There's power in the name of Jesus.

Power in the name of Jesus.

Power in the name of Jesus,

no other name I know. 

Refrain:

Bless that wonderful name of Jesus.

Bless that wonderful name of Jesus.

Bless that wonderful name of Jesus,

no other name I know.

2. There's healing in the name of Jesus.

Healing in the name of Jesus.

Healing in the name of Jesus,

no other name I know. 

3. There's saving in the name of Jesus.

Saving in the name of Jesus.

Saving in the name of Jesus,

no other name I know.

4. There's wonder in the name of Jesus.

There's wonder in the name of Jesus.

There's wonder in the name of Jesus,

no other name I know.

Open Heavens Prayer Points

PRAYER POINTS ON TODAY'S OPEN HEAVENS:

(Saturday, February 5, 2022)

LIVING IN GLORY 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.Thank You, Father, for the salvation of my soul, and for Your transformation agenda in my life.

2.Father, in anyway I have fallen short of your glory, please, have mercy and forgive me; let Your mercy prevail over any judgement of sin in my life, in Jesus' name.

3.Father, wear upon me the garment of Your righteousness; let me never be forsaken nor my seed beg for bread, in Jesus' name.

4.Father, please let your glory fill me and set me free from poverty, in Jesus' name.

5.Father, let everything that does not glorify You in my life be uprooted, and give me the grace to persevere, in the face of obstacles and oppositions, in Jesus' name.

6.Father, please, wear upon me the garment of Your righteousness, and empower me to do Your perfect will at all times, in Jesus' name.

7.Father, let every seed that I have sown physically and spiritually, in Your vineyard, bring me a hundredfold's harvest and reward, in Jesus' name.

8.Father, remove from my life every spirit of laziness, and release upon me the spirit of diligence and profitable hard work, in Jesus' name.

9.Father, give me the grace to pay my tithes, first fruits and offerings, as at when due; in Jesus' name.

10.Father, bless your son, Pastor Enoch Adejare Adeboye; and reward him abundantly for all his labours of love in Your vineyard, 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

Please, share the Word of God.

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: SATURDAY 5TH FEBRUARY, 2022.

THEME: LIVING IN GLORY - II

MEMORISE:

I have been young, and now am old; yet have not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread.

Psalm 37:25

READ: Genesis 26:12-14

12 Then Isaac sowed in that land, and received in the same year an hundredfold: and the Lord blessed him.

13 And the man waxed great, and went forward, and grew until he became very great:

14 For he had possession of flocks, and possession of herds, and great store of servants: and the Philistines envied him.

MESSAGE

Glory is a shame terminator. Wherever the glory of God is present, shame will never be found there.

Hence, anything that is shameful, embarrassing or humiliating – such as sickness, poverty, a sinful lifestyle, backsliding, bondage, and failure, should not be identified with children of God.

Poverty is closely associated with hunger, nakedness, homelessness , begging for alms, and wandering. Indeed, poverty is evil, and it has a way of dehumanising people.

However, being a child of God or attending Church services or programmes does not automatically cast away poverty. To be free from poverty, you must be completely obedient to God.

In today’s Bible reading, Isaac was determined to pursue greener pastures in Egypt in order to escape the terrible famine in the land. The Lord however warned him not to take that step, then showed him where he should dwell. Isaac obeyed and God blessed him greatly, as we see in Genesis 26:12-14:

Then Isaac sowed in that land, and received in the same year an hundredfold: and the Lord blessed him. And the man waxed great, and went forward, and grew until he became very great: For he had possession of flocks, and possession of herds, and great store of servants: and the Philistines envied him.

In essence, the Bible is saying that Isaac reaped the fruit of obedience.

Furthermore, to be free from poverty, one must be diligent in business. Despite God’s promise of abundant blessings in Genesis 26:3, Isaac did not fold his hands, waiting for the miracle.

He cultivated, sowed, and laboured hard in the field, then the Lord fulfilled His promise by blessing his labour.

Also, we must persevere in the face of obstacles on our way to achieving true success.

There is always an interval between sowing and reaping. It is usually a period when obstacles and challenges come at you from every angle; perseverance is highly required to overcome.

Finally, you must not be a robber of God’s tithes, first fruit and offerings. Obedience in all these things are needed to live a glorious life free of poverty, shame, and all sorts of evil put together.

PRAYER POINT:

Father, please let your glory fill me and set me free from poverty in Jesus' name.

Click here for TODAY'S OPEN HEAVENS PRAYER POINTS.

AUTHOR: PASTOR E.A ADEBOYE

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Leviticus 17-18

HYMN 26:  TO GOD BE THE GLORY GREAT THINGS HE HAS DONE.

1 To God be the glory, great things He hath done,

So loved He the world that He gave us His Son,

Who yielded His life our redemption to win,

And opened the life-gate that all may go in.

Refrain:

Praise the Lord, praise the Lord,

Let the earth hear His voice;

Praise the Lord, praise the Lord,

Let the people rejoice;

Oh, come to the Father, through Jesus the Son,

And give Him the glory; great things He hath done.

2 Oh, perfect redemption, the purchase of blood,

To every believer the promise of God;

The vilest offender who truly believes,

That moment from Jesus a pardon receives.

3 Great things He hath taught us, great things He hath done,

And great our rejoicing through Jesus the Son;

But purer, and higher, and greater will be

Our wonder, our transport when Jesus we see.