OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL
DATE: MONDAY DECEMBER 5TH, 2022.
THEME: GRATITUDE AND TESTIMONIES
MEMORISE:
And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.
Revelation 12:11
READ: 1 Samuel 17:34 -37
34 And David said unto Saul, Thy servant kept his father's sheep, and there came a lion, and a bear, and took a lamb out of the flock:
35 And I went out after him, and smote him, and delivered it out of his mouth: and when he arose against me, I caught him by his beard, and smote him, and slew him.
36 Thy servant slew both the lion and the bear: and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them, seeing he hath defied the armies of the living God.
37 David said moreover, The LORD that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine. And Saul said unto David, Go, and the LORD be with thee.
MESSAGE
The elders have an adage that says, "The child who is grateful for yesterday's blessing will receive another". You must be grateful, not just because God has already done a lot for you, but to open the door for what He will yet do. Some people lose their miracles because they are ungrateful. They lose the support of the most High God because they cannot just say 'Thank you.' Those who constantly remember His mercies always experience more and more. Blessings always pursue and overtake them.
Remembering His mercies will help you to develop mountain-moving faith. In Mark 11:22-23, Jesus said if you have faith in God, then you can command mountains to move and they will obey. It is established that God does not change, as we see in Malachi 3:6 where He said, "For l am the Lord, l change not...". We also see in Hebrews 13:8 that Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever. Both scriptures point to the fact that if God did a miracle yesterday, He can do it again today. Thus the more of His benefits you remember, the greater your faith and the more He can do for you. Once you can remember His track record concerning any situation, whenever that situation comes to face you again, you would just laugh because you know you have a Daddy who has tackled it before and will do so again victoriously.
In our Bible reading today, David recounted Lord's benefits towards him and standing on that, he was sure that the same God who delivered him from the lion and the bear would take care of Goliath. If you can just remember one of God's miracles in your life, then you can be sure He will do another one. The devil had tried to tell me that the 3km-by-3km auditorium would not be completed. I laughed because that was what he said when we were building the first auditorium which was 100meters by 50meters. He said the same thing for the second and third, and now we are in the fourth, so l told him, "you are wasting your time; this 3km-by-3km is just a baby, the real big one is yet to come".
Consider whatever mountain that is blocking your way now as just another opportunity for a new testimony.
KEY POINT
Your testimonies about God's goodness and gratitude to Him will produce more miracles.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 1 Corinthians 12-14
AUTHOR: PASTOR E.A. ADEBOYE
HYMN 27: WHEN LIFE'S BILLOW YOU ARE TEMPEST TOSSED
1 When upon life’s billows you are tempest tossed,
When you are discouraged, thinking all is lost,
Count your many blessings name them one by one,
And it will surprise you what the Lord hath done.
Refrain:
Count your blessings, name them one by one;
Count your blessings, see what God hath done;
Count your blessings, name them one by one,
And it will surprise you what the Lord hath done.
2 Are you ever burdened with a load of care?
Does the cross seem heavy you are called to bear?
Count your many blessings, every doubt will fly,
And you will be singing as the days go by.
3 When you look at others with their lands and gold,
Think that Christ has promised you His wealth untold.
Count your many blessings, money cannot buy
Your reward in heaven, nor your Lord on high.
4 So amid the conflict, whether great or small,
Do not be discouraged, God is over all;
Count your many blessings, angels will attend,
Help and comfort give you to your journey’s end.