Open Heavens Daily Devotional by Pastor E.A. Adeboye

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL 

DATE: SATURDAY MAY 7TH, 2022.

THEME: MAKE THE RIGHT CHOICES  I

MEMORISE: 

There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death. 

Proverbs 14:12 

READ: Proverbs 3:5 -8

5 Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.

6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.

7 Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil.

8 It shall be health to thy navel, and marrow to thy bones.

MESSAGE

In life, we make choices every day. There are little choices and

there are major ones. The Bible reading for today says we should not lean on our own understanding in making a choice at all. For example, the choice of passing a particular route on your way to work or wherever you are going should not be made alone. Ask "Lord, which route should l take as l go out now?" Your 'little' choices must be committed into the hands of God.

If little choices should be committed into God's hands, then how much more major ones. The choice of which school to apply to, which organization to work for, which neighborhood to live in and so on, can have far-reaching consequences on our lives. For example, it was during my undergraduate days that I met a lecturer who decided to supervise me for my Master degree in the University of Lagos. Thus, I did my masters at Unilag, and it was while I was there that I became born again in the Redeemed Christian Church of God, joined the workforce of the Church and eventually became a General Overseer as God had ordained it. Thank God that He ordered my steps right, even when I was not yet born again. Now that I am born again, He has been faithful to guide me aright all through, even up to now.

The choice of what school to attend or what organization to work for can end up determining who you marry. The choice of which country to settle in can determine if you will fulfill your destiny or not. Our memory verse today shows clearly that wrong decision can lead to very grave repercussions. We need God's guidance for us to be able to make the right decisions (Proverbs 14:12)

According to 2 Corinthians 4:18, what you see in the physical is temporal; it is in the spirit that you get the real picture of things. Jesus Christ said in John 14:26:

But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said to you.

As a true child of God, you have the Holy Spirit within you. Whenever He prompt you to take the right decision, make sure you follow His lead so that He can take you to that great destiny that God has prepared for you.

PRAYER POINT

Holy Spirit, guide me in all my choices and give me the grace to always listen to You, in Jesus name.

Click here for TODAY'S OPEN HEAVENS PRAYER POINTS

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 2 Chronicles 8-11

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A ADEBOYE 

HYMN 29: WILL YOUR ANCHOR HOLD IN THE STORM OF LIFE

1 Will your anchor hold in the storms of life,

When the clouds unfold their wings of strife?

When the strong tides lift, and the cables strain,

Will your anchor drift or firm remain? 

Refrain:

We have an anchor that keeps the soul

Steadfast and sure while the billows roll,

Fastened to the Rock which cannot move,

Grounded firm and deep in the Savior's love! 

2 It is safely moored, 'twill the storm withstand,

For 'tis well secured by the Savior's hand;

And the cables passed from His heart to mine,

Can defy the blast, through strength divine. 

3 It will firmly hold in the straits of fear,

When the breakers have told the reef is near;

Though the tempest rave and the wild winds blow,

Not an angry wave shall our bark o'erflow. 

4 It will surely hold in the floods of death,

When the waters cold chill our latest breath;

On the rising tide it can never fail,

While our hopes abide within the veil.

Open Heavens Prayer Points

PRAYER POINTS ON TODAY'S OPEN HEAVENS:

(Friday, May  6, 2022)

CONNECTED FOR FRUITFULNESS

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 without You, I can do nothing.

2.Thank You, Father, for the salvation and redemption of my soul from eternal destruction in hell fire, through the blood of Jesus, that was shed at Calvary.

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, You're the vine and I a m a branch, please, let me abide in you and You, in me forever, that i may bring forth much fruits, in Jesus' name.

5.Father, please, let every arrow of barreness, fired into my life, go back to sender; and cause me to be fruitful in every good work, in Jesus' name.

6.Father, let Your words abide in me, that I may bear much fruits, that You may be glorified, and that i may be a disciple, indeed, in Jesus' name.

7.Father, empower me to live by Your word, and to obey and do Your perfect will, at all times,  in Jesus' name.

8.Father, let whatever I ask for in prayers be given unto me, in Jesus' name.

9.Father, please keep me, connected to You forever, and let all things work together for my good, in Jesus’ name.

10.Father, bless your son, Pastor Enoch Adejare Adeboye, and, bless all the works of his hands, 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 dates! 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: FRIDAY MAY 6TH, 2022.

THEME: CONNECTED FOR FRUITFULNESS 

MEMORISE: 

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. 

John 15:5 

READ: John 15:1 -10

1 I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman.

2 Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.

3 Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.

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.

6 If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.

7 If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.

8 Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.

9 As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love.

10 If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love.

MESSAGE

The Bible reading for today tells us that abiding in Jesus Christ is the secret of bearing good fruit. This is why being born again is just the beginning of a life of fruitfulness; abiding in Jesus Christ in unbroken continuity is the secret of fruitfulness. How then can we abide in Jesus? John 15:7-8 says:

If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.

Here we discover three things: One, Jesus is the secret behind fruitfulness and without Him we can do nothing good. Two, abiding in Him is the attitude required of us to bear good fruit. Three, living by His words (teachings) is the practical way of abiding in Jesus Christ. He said, "Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me..." (Matthew 11:29). Everyone is capable of bearing good fruit, provided the fellow comes to Jesus Christ through faith, living according to His word. John 8:31 says:

...If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed.

God is the ultimate in all ways, even where fruitfulness is concerned. Whoever desires to be fruitful must be connected to Him. Psalm 23:1 says that those who follow God will not lack. John 10:9 further describes the blessings of those who connect with Jesus: 

I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.

All things work together for good to them that love God and are called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28).

Beloved, these Scriptures above and many more confirm that if you are connected to God, your all-round fruitfulness is guaranteed. Are you connected to Him?

PRAYER POINT

Father, please keep me connected to You forever, in Jesus name.

Click here for TODAY'S OPEN HEAVENS PRAYER POINTS.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 2 Chronicles 5- 7

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A ADEBOYE 

HYMN1: ALL TO JESUS I SURRENDER 

1 All to Jesus I surrender, 

All to Him I freely give; 

I will ever love and trust Him, 

In His presence daily live. 

I surrender all, I surrender all; 

All to Thee, my blessed Saviour, I surrender 

all. 

2 All to Jesus I surrender, 

Humbly at His feet I bow; 

Worldly pleasures all forsaken,

Take me, Jesus, take me now. 

3 All to Jesus I surrender, 

Make me, Saviour, wholly Thine; 

Let the Holy Spirit witness 

I am Thine and Thou art mine. 

4 All to Jesus I surrender: 

Lord, I give myself to Thee; 

Fill me with Thy love and power, 

Let Thy blessing rest on me. 

5 All to Jesus I surrender: 

Now I feel the sacred flame; 

Oh the joy of full salvation! 

Glory, glory to His name!

Open Heavens Prayer Points

PRAYER POINTS ON TODAY'S OPEN HEAVENS: 

(Thursday, May  5, 2022) 

THE STRENGTH OF TWO OR THREE! 

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 where two or three are gathered in Your name, You're there! In Your presence, there is fullness of joy, and at Your right hand, there are pleasures forevermore.

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, please, let Your presence and peace never depart from me, in Jesus' name.

4.Father, let every power hindering my prayers be paralysed, in Jesus' name.

5.Father, let there be peace, unity and brotherly love among brethren in Your church and in  every Christian home and family, in Jesus' name.

6.Father, empower wives and husbands to  always pray, "prayers of agreement", as touching every challenge in the family, so that the challenges can be solved easily, in Jesus' name.

7.Father, provide for me compatible prayer partners, who will be lifting up "the hands of my Moses" in prayers, for success in my ministerial assignments and in times of crisis and life's challenges, in Jesus' name.

8.Father, increase daily, the numerical and financial strength of Your church,  in every nation and all over the world, in Jesus' name.

9.Father, help Your Church to encourage and promote corporate social responsibility that enhances unity and power, in Jesus' name.

10.Father, bless your son, Pastor Enoch Adejare Adeboye, and, our mummy in Israel, Pastor, Mrs, Folu Adeboye and all their prayer partners, all over the world, 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 dates! 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: THURSDAY  MAY 5TH, 2022.

THEME: THE STRENGTH OF TWO OR THREE!

MEMORISE:  

Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven. 

Matthew 18:19

READ: Ecclesiastes 4:9 -12

9 Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour.

10 For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another to help him up.

11 Again, if two lie together, then they have heat: but how can one be warm alone?

12 And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken.

MESSAGE

There is power in numbers. By God's standard and according to today's Bible reading, two individuals have an advantage over one. We also see this in our memory verse today, where Jesus told us (His followers) that when as little as just two of us come together to ask God something, He will, perform it (Matthew 18:19). This shows us that the Lord wants us to be united as He assures us that whatever we ask of Him in agreement shall be done.

We all need partners to work with for success in our Christian race. God provided a partner for Moses in the person of Aaron his brother (Exodus 4:10-17). Hur, another minister under Moses, aided him in his Intercessory prayer for Israel's victory in their war with the Amalekites (Exodus 17:8-13). Some Christians are ignorant of the spiritual aid they can get from their fellow believers. During a crisis, we need partners, as in case of David's encounter with a descendant of giants. It was Abishai - David's aide, who killed the giant that would have slain David. No one knows the rank of Abishai in the army, yet he was David's rescuer on that terrible day of the battle 2 (Samuel 21:15-17).

In the Bible reading of today, the word of God expressly tells us the benefits of the numerical strength of a people. This is why l always emphasize the numerical growth of the Church. The benefits of the numerical strength of the Church cannot be overemphasized. A project is more easily accomplished by 200 people than with just 20. This also reveals the benefit of marriage. A lot of blessings accrue to holy matrimony and this is why the Bible says two are better than one (Ecclesiastes 4:9).

Another major benefit of coming together as Christians is the privilege to enjoy the presence of the Lord. Jesus Christ promised in Matthew 18:20 that wherever  two or three persons are gathered in His name, He will fellowship with them. Beloved, let us endeavour to encourage communal Christian living and mutual support -the benefits are indeed numerous (Psalm 133:1-2).

ACTION POINT

The church should encourage corporate social responsibility that enhances unity and power.

Click here for TODAY'S OPEN HEAVENS PRAYER POINTS.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 2 Chronicles 1-4

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A ADEBOYE 

HYMN 2: CONQUERORS AND OVECOMERS NOW ARE WE

1 Conquerors And Overcomers Now Are We,

Through The Precious Blood Of Christ We’ve Victory

If The Lord Be For Us We Can Never Fail,

Nothing Against His Mighty Power Can Ever Prevail.

Refrain:

Conquerors Are We, Through The Blood Of Jesus

God Will Give Us Victory, Through The Blood Of Jesus

Through The Lamb For Sinners Slain,

Yet Who Lives And Reigns Again,

More Than Conquerors Are We,

More Than Conquerors Are We.

2 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.

3 Unto Him That Overcome Shall Be Given,

Here To Eat Of Hidden Manna Sent From Heaven,

Over Yonder He The Victors Palm Shall Bear,

And A Robe Of White, And Golden Crown Shall Wear.

Open Heavens Prayer Points

PRAYER POINTS ON TODAY'S OPEN HEAVENS:

(Wednesday, May 4, 2022)

HOW TO FAST.

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, because I can do all things through Christ that strengthens me.

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, please, empower me with the grace to fast often and to pray, without ceasing, in Jesus' name.

4.Father, whatever I am doing wrongly, spiritually that is preventing me from seeing the results of my spiritual labours, please, show me and empower me to correct and restitute it, in Jesus' name.

5.Father, please, frustrate every effort of the devil to discourage me from fasting, in Jesus' name.

6.Father, let every anti-fasting demon assigned against my life, be paralysed, in Jesus' name..

7.Father, please, empower me never to be enticed by the aroma of any food served around me whenever I embark on my fasting exercise; give me a very strong will power to continue with my fast, in Jesus' name.

8.Father, empower me by Your grace to leave any location that could induce me to break my fast; and help me to take my thoughts away from enticing situations and help me to start studying my bible, immediately, in Jesus' name.

9.Father, empower me to mark the duration of my fast on the calendar and make a covenant with my belly that there will be no food for this period; whenever the temptation to break my fast still comes, help me to take it as a reminder to start praying and studying the bible, in Jesus' name.

10.Father, give me the grace to reduce all physical exercises during this period, including talking to people, in order to conserve energy for prayer and bible study, in Jesus' name.

11.Father, please, help me to increase my giving during the period of my fast, and help me not to boast about my fast, in Jesus' name

12.Father, bless your son, Pastor Enoch Adejare Adeboye; renew his strength and Your anointing upon his life, in Jesus' name.

13.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.

14.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.

15.Your Personal petitions.

( Philippians 4:6)

16.In Jesus' name I pray.

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

17.Thank you Father for answered prayers.

(1 Thessalonians 5:18).

#GodBlessOurNation

These prayers have no expiry dates! 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 MAY 4TH, 2022.

THEME: HOW TO FAST

MEMORISE: 

Wherefore have we fasted, say they, and thou seest not? wherefore have we afflicted our soul, and thou takest no knowledge? Behold, in the day of your fast ye find pleasure, and exact all your labours. 

Isaiah 58:3 

READ: Isaiah 58:1 -12

1 Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and shew my people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins.

2 Yet they seek me daily, and delight to know my ways, as a nation that did righteousness, and forsook not the ordinance of their God: they ask of me the ordinances of justice; they take delight in approaching to God.

3 Wherefore have we fasted, say they, and thou seest not? wherefore have we afflicted our soul, and thou takest no knowledge? Behold, in the day of your fast ye find pleasure, and exact all your labours.

4 Behold, ye fast for strife and debate, and to smite with the fist of wickedness: ye shall not fast as ye do this day, to make your voice to be heard on high.

5 Is it such a fast that I have chosen? a day for a man to afflict his soul? is it to bow down his head as a bulrush, and to spread sackcloth and ashes under him? wilt thou call this a fast, and an acceptable day to the LORD?

6 Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke?

7 Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? when thou seest the naked, that thou cover him; and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh?

8 Then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thine health shall spring forth speedily: and thy righteousness shall go before thee; the glory of the LORD shall be thy rereward.

9 Then shalt thou call, and the LORD shall answer; thou shalt cry, and he shall say, Here I am. If thou take away from the midst of thee the yoke, the putting forth of the finger, and speaking vanity;

10 And if thou draw out thy soul to the hungry, and satisfy the afflicted soul; then shall thy light rise in obscurity, and thy darkness be as the noonday:

11 And the LORD shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought, and make fat thy bones: and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not.

12 And they that shall be of thee shall build the old waste places: thou shalt raise up the foundations of many generations; and thou shalt be called, The repairer of the breach, The restorer of paths to dwell in.

MESSAGE

The first thing to note when you want to embark on a fast is that the devil will try to stop you. He knows that the moment you start fasting, you would become too strong for him to manipulate. Therefore, he would use every means at his disposal to stop you so get ready to ensure that he fails. On a regular day when you have not decided to fast, you could find yourself staying without food until much later in the day, sometimes until evening without feeling hunger pangs; however, the moment you decided to fast, you would wake up hungry. Ignore the hunger and stay committed to your decision to fast.

Another trick the devil uses is to ensure that your nose picks up the aroma of food wherever it is cooked or served around you. You would find yourself noticing how big the piece of chicken on your colleague’s plate is or hear someone talking about how good the food in the restaurant next door is. Don’t take these thoughts of food lightly; they are tactics of the devil to stop you from fasting, so you must be violent about blocking them from your mind. Give them no room at all. Leave that place where the food is being served or talked about; if you cannot, then occupy your mind with the word of God immediately.

People have asked me severally, “How are you able to fast for forty days and nights and sometimes even longer?” The answer is simple: when I decide to fast, I go to my calendar, count the number of days I want to fast for, then mark the starting and ending dates of the fast. After this, I say to my stomach, “As from this date, there will be no more food for you until so and so date”. If I begin to feel hungry when the fast starts, I know the devil is trying to get me to break it, so I take that as a reminder that it is time to pray and before I know it, the hunger would have gone. Lastly, when you fast, talk less to other people and more to God. During a fast, when you talk to people, your strength diminishes, but when you talk to God, it increases. Reduces physical activities as much as you can while you increase spiritual ones. The time you would have spent cooking or eating can then be used to study your Bible and/or pray. This is also the time to increase your giving to the needy around you, as we read in our Bible text today. Also, note that the moment you boast about your fast, it becomes useless (Matthew 6:16-18).

KEY POINT

Be violent about blocking everything the devil uses to discourage you from fasting.

Click here for TODAY'S OPEN HEAVENS PRAYER POINTS.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 1 Chronicles 27- 29

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A ADEBOYE 

HYMN 22: SWEET HOUR OF PRAYER

1. Sweet hour of prayer! sweet hour of prayer!

That calls me from a world of care,

And bids me at my Father’s throne

Make all my wants and wishes known.

In seasons of distress and grief,

My soul has often found relief,

And oft escaped the tempter’s snare,

By thy return, sweet hour of prayer

2. Sweet hour of prayer! sweet hour of prayer!

The joys I feel, the bliss I share,

Of those whose anxious spirits burn

With strong desires for thy return!

With such I hasten to the place

Where God my Savior shows His face,

And gladly take my station there,

And wait for thee, sweet hour of prayer!

3. Sweet hour of prayer! sweet hour of prayer!

Thy wings shall my petition bear

To Him whose truth and faithfulness

Engage the waiting soul to bless.

And since He bids me seek His face,

Believe His Word and trust His grace,

I’ll cast on Him my every care,

And wait for thee, sweet hour of prayer!

4. Sweet hour of prayer! sweet hour of prayer!

May I thy consolation share,

Till, from Mount Pisgah’s lofty height,

I view my home and take my flight.

This robe of flesh I’ll drop, and rise

To seize the everlasting prize,

And shout, while passing through the air,

“Farewell, farewell, sweet hour of prayer!”