1 Kings 17:22 (KJV) And the LORD heard the voice of Elijah; and the soul of the child came into him again, and he revived. May the Lord by His mercy hear your voice in prayer and turn around whatsoever is tending to sorrow, defeat, failure and shame to joy, success, celebration and victory in the mighty name of Jesus Christ.
OPEN HEAVEN DAILY DEVOTIONAL
DATE: WEDNESDAY 18TH, OCTOBER 2023.
THEME: ARE YOU A FRESH OR STALE CHRISTIAN? II
MEMORISE:
I will bless the Lord at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth.
Psalm 34:1
BIBLE TEXT: Psalms 34:1-11 (KJV)
1 I will bless the Lord at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth.
2 My soul shall make her boast in the Lord: the humble shall hear thereof, and be glad.
3 O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together.
4 I sought the Lord, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears.
5 They looked unto him, and were lightened: and their faces were not ashamed.
6 This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles.
7 The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them.
8 O taste and see that the Lord is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.
9 O fear the Lord, ye his saints: for there is no want to them that fear him.
10 The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger: but they that seek the Lordshall not want any good thing.
11 Come, ye children, hearken unto me: I will teach you the fear of the Lord.
MESSAGE
Fresh Christians are always joyful in the house of God.
When you see a fresh Christian during praise and worship, the fellow will be singing and dancing with joy, unlike some so called big men of God who have now become so familiar with the Lord that they can’t dance for Him anymore.
Many years ago, while waving my tambourine and dancing for my Maker during the praise and worship session at a Pastors’ meeting, a big man of God tapped me and said, “Look at you, a whole General Overseer, dancing like that”.
I told him I would never stop dancing for the One who made me the General Overseer of RCCG. David, with all his majesty, never outgrew dancing for God.
In fact, 2 Samuel 6:14 says he danced with all his might. What was the result? God kept lifting him steadily.
He went from becoming king of Jerusalem to king of Israel and kept progressing until he became the father of the King of kings.
Even the key of God that opens and none can shut is called the key of David.
Fresh Christians never outgrow praising God even after several years of surrendering their lives to Christ.
However, people who see themselves as too big to dance for God because they think they are no longer new in the faith have allowed themselves to become stale Christians.
Fresh Christians submit to the authority God has placed over them. You will always hear them say,
“My Pastor said…”, and the blessings of obedience always follow them (2 Chronicles 20:20). Many years ago, my Father-in-the-Lord told all the workers in the Church to empty their bank accounts and bring the money to Church.
The next Sunday, when he was meeting with us again, he said the need had been met, then he asked, “How many of you actually obeyed the instruction? Only my wife and I raised our hands. As far as we were concerned, it was God saying it, so we obeyed.
The other people who had been in the Church long before us however did not obey. In return, God raised us to become the leaders of the Church.
You must never become so familiar with men of God that you begin to disobey and disrespect them. That is not a sign of spiritual maturity, but rather, of spiritual staleness and death.
KEY POINT
A fresh Christian never outgrows praising God and obeying Him at all times.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR
Mark 12-13
AUTHOR: PASTOR E.A. ADEBOYE
HYMN 17: Praise My Soul The King Of Heaven
1 Praise, my soul, the King of heaven; to his feet your tribute bring. Ransomed, healed, restored, forgiven, evermore his praises sing. Alleluia, alleluia! Praise the everlasting King!
2 Praise him for his grace and favor to his people in distress. Praise him, still the same as ever, slow to chide, and swift to bless. Alleluia, alleluia! Glorious in his faithfulness!
3 Fatherlike he tends and spares us; well our feeble frame he knows. In his hand he gently bears us, rescues us from all our foes. Alleluia, alleluia! Widely yet his mercy flows!
4 Angels, help us to adore him; you behold him face to face. Sun and moon, bow down before him, dwellers all in time and space. Alleluia, alleluia! Praise with us the God of grace!
Prayer Points On Open Heavens:
Tuesday 17th of October, 2023
Are You A Fresh Or Stale Christian? I
Special Note.
These prayer points are not written by Pastor E. A. Adeboye, but by one of his , 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.”
1.Thank You, Father, for the salvation of my soul.
2.Father, in anyway I have fallen short of your glory, please, have mercy and
forgive me; let Your mercy prevail over judgement of sin in my life, in Jesus name.
3.Father, please, cloth me with the garment of Your humility perpetually, in Jesus name.
4.Father, give me the grace to renew my mind daily and never to conform with the things of this world, in Jesus name.
5.Father, please, give me an insatiable hunger for Your word, in Jesus name.
6.Father, empower me to be in church early and never to forsake fellowship with other believers, in Jesus name.
7.Father, let my zeal for your word and works, never wane, in Jesus name.
8.Father, the grace to be consistent in my daily study of Your word, please, release upon me, in Jesus name.
9.Father, let me never become ashamed to preach Your word, in season and out of season, in Jesus name.
10.Father, bless your son, Pastor Enoch Adejare Adeboye; and, bless his ministry, home, and family (biological and spiritual), forever, 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, books ministry.
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.
Psalms 94:18 (KJV) When I said, My foot slippeth; thy mercy, O LORD, held me up. May the mercy of the Lord hold you up, strengthen you and embolden you when face-to-face with discomforting situation and devices of darkness in Jesus mighty name.
OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL
DATE: TUESDAY OCTOBER 17TH, 2023.
TOPIC: ARE YOU A FRESH OR STALE CHRISTAIN? 1
MEMORISE:
"And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven." - (Matthew 18:3)
READ: MATTHEW 18:1-6 (KJV)
1 At the same time came the disciples unto Jesus, saying, Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?
2 And Jesus called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them,
3 And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.
4 Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
5 And whoso shall receive one such little child in my name receiveth me.
6 But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea.
MESSAGE:
When there is an evangelistic outreach, the most beautiful part of the Scripture is usually preached so that unbelievers in attendance can be won for Jesus. The preacher would typically tell the congregation that when they come to Jesus Christ, they would find healing, deliverance, freedom, promotion and so on, and indeed, all these are true. Once they give their lives to Christ, they become fresh Christians. Fresh Christians are however, required to remain fresh at all times, just as we see in our Bible reading today. Yes, new converts are baby Christians who should grow into spiritual maturity, but they must never lose their freshness in Christ as they constantly renew their minds (Romans 12:2).
There are many distinct characteristics of fresh Christians. The very first thing is an insatiable hunger to know the word of God (1 Peter 2:2). People who just genuinely gave their lives to Christ don't go late for fellowship. They even usually sit in front where there would be no distractions because they just have this strong desire for the word of God. Unfortunately, you see many people who have been born again for a long time forgetting this desire they once had. When you mature, you are supposed to advance to strong meat, but many fail to do this and rather become stale though they usually claim they have become mature. A Christian becomes stale when he or she stops feeding on the word of God daily.
Beloved, if you no longer spend quality time studying your Bible daily, you are becoming a stale Christian. Unless that hunger returns and you begin to feed on the word of God daily again, you are a dying Christian.
Another distinct characteristic of fresh Christians is that they cannot stop talking about Jesus. They are not ashamed of Christ at all. A Christian who has become stale however, will see himself or herself as too big to preach the gospel to everyone, forgetting Jesus' command in Mark 16:15 and His warning in Matthew 10:33.
Freshness or staleness in Christ is not determined by how long you have been born again, but by your attitude towards the things of God.
REFLECTION:
When was the last time you won a soul for Christ?
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: MARK 10-11
HYMNAL: 12 - ONWARD, CHRISTIAN SOLDIERS!
1. Onward, Christian soldiers, marching as to war,
With the cross of Jesus going on before!
Christ, the Royal Master, leads against the foe;
Forward into battle, see His banner go!
REFRAIN:
Onward, Christian soldiers, marching as to war,
With the cross of Jesus going on before!
2. At the name of Jesus, Satan's host doth flee;
On then, Christian soldiers, on to victory!
Hell's foundations quiver, at the shout of praise:
Brothers, lift your voices, loud your anthem raise!
3. Like a mighty army, moves the Church of God;
Brothers, we are treading, where the saints have trod;
We are not divided, all one body we,
One in hope and doctrine, one in charity.
4. Crowns and thrones may perish, kingdom's rise and wane;
But the Church of Jesus, constant will remain:
Gates of hell can never 'gainst that church prevail;
We have Christ's own promise, and that cannot fail.
5. Onward then, ye people, join our happy throng;
Blend with ours your voices, in the triumph song:
Glory, praise and honour, unto Christ the King;
This, through countless ages, men and angels sing.
PRAYER POINTS ON TODAY'S OPEN HEAVENS:
Monday, October 16, 2023
REAL GRACE
Special Note.
These prayer points are not written by Pastor E. A. Adeboye, but by one of his , 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 from eternal destruction in hell fire.
2.Thank You Father, for sending Your son, Jesus Christ, to Calvary, to give me forgiveness, through His blood that was shed.
3.Thank You, Father, for the abundance of Your grace over my life.
4.Thank You Father, for giving me dominion over sin and for not allowing sin to have dominion over me.
5.Father, in anyway I have fallen short of your glory, please, have mercy and
forgive me; let Your mercy prevail over judgement of sin in my life, in Jesus' name.
6.Father, release upon my life, continually, the power to live above sin and above all the activities of the flesh, in Jesus' name.
7.Father, the grace to live a consistently holy and righteous life, release upon my life, in Jesus' name.
8.Father, let me never abuse or take Your grace over my life for granted, in Jesus' name.
9.Father, let Your grace never leave or depart from me, in Jesus' name.
10.Father, bless your son, Pastor Enoch Adejare Adeboye; and, bless his ministry, home, and family (biological and spiritual), forever, 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, books ministry.
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.
1 Samuel 2:26 (KJV) And the child Samuel grew on, and was in favour both with the LORD, and also with men. May the Lord by His mercy visit you, sow in you heaven's seed to grow in strength and knowledge of Him and in favour with the Lord and also with men in the mighty name of Jesus Christ.
