Genesis 17:2 (KJV) And I will make my covenant between me and thee, and will multiply thee exceedingly. May the Lord by His mercy visit you and make a covenant with you that will make you outstanding and settle you in every ramifications in the mighty name of Jesus Christ.
OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL
DATE: FRIDAY JANUARY 19TH, 2024.
THEME: GOD'S BEST FRIENDS I
MEMORISE:
And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God.
James 2:23
READ: Genesis 18:17-33
17 And the LORD said, Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do;
18 Seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him?
19 For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the LORD, to do justice and judgment; that the LORD may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him.
20 And the LORD said, Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grievous;
21 I will go down now, and see whether they have done altogether according to the cry of it, which is come unto me; and if not, I will know.
22 And the men turned their faces from thence, and went toward Sodom: but Abraham stood yet before the LORD.
23 And Abraham drew near, and said, Wilt thou also destroy the righteous with the wicked?
24 Peradventure there be fifty righteous within the city: wilt thou also destroy and not spare the place for the fifty righteous that are therein?
25 That be far from thee to do after this manner, to slay the righteous with the wicked: and that the righteous should be as the wicked, that be far from thee: Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?
26 And the LORD said, If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare all the place for their sakes.
27 And Abraham answered and said, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord, which am but dust and ashes:
28 Peradventure there shall lack five of the fifty righteous: wilt thou destroy all the city for lack of five? And he said, If I find there forty and five, I will not destroy it.
29 And he spake unto him yet again, and said, Peradventure there shall be forty found there. And he said, I will not do it for forty's sake.
30 And he said unto him, Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak: Peradventure there shall thirty be found there. And he said, I will not do it, if I find thirty there.
31 And he said, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord: Peradventure there shall be twenty found there. And he said, I will not destroy it for twenty's sake.
32 And he said, Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak yet but this once: Peradventure ten shall be found there. And he said, I will not destroy it for ten's sake.
33 And the LORD went his way, as soon as he had left communing with Abraham: and Abraham returned unto his place.
MESSAGE
It may surprise you to know that God has best friends. God's best friends are so close to Him that they know things about Him that no one else knows. They are people with an experiential knowledge of Him that most people don't have. Such people don't like to talk deeply about how much of God they know because those who haven't gotten that close to Him will misunderstand them.
Abraham was one of God's best friends. He was so close to God that God said He could not do anything significant on earth without first informing him (Genesis 18:17). Moses was also one of God's best friends. He was so close to God that God Himself testified in Numbers 12:8 that He spoke to Moses mouth to mouth and that he beholds His similitude which is translated as 'form' in modern English. John the Beloved was another man who was clearly one of God's best friends. Of all the people on earth, Jesus decided to tell him all the things that will happen in the end time (Revelation 1:1).
All these people had such a close relationship with God that they saw sides of Him that others never saw. They heard things from Him that they never told others and made Him change His mind on several occasions (Genesis 18:24-32, Exodus 32:9-14). Probably the most obvious example is reflected in Jesus' relationship with Peter, James and John while He was on earth. Because they were with the Lord Jesus Christ on the mount of
transfiguration, they saw His glory (Matthew 17:1-2). When He went to raise Jairus' daughter, He allowed only the three of them to follow Him, and so they saw His resurrection power (Mark 5:35-37). They were so close to Him that they saw Him in His time of distress at the garden of Gethsemane when He was crying for God to take away the cup from Him (Matthew 26:36-39). Jesus invited them specially to watch with Him. These three experienced special moments with Jesus Christ that no one else did.
It indeed is a special honour and privilege to be one of God's best friends. I believe every sincere believer should desire to be in God's special inner circle of friends, and so I will be discussing what it takes to become one of God's bestfriends in the next couple of days.
REFLECTION
How close are you to God?
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Exodus 11-13
AUTHOR: PASTOR E.A. ADEBOYE
HYMN 11: I'VE FOUND A FRIEND IN JESUS
1 I’ve found a friend in Jesus, He’s everything to me,
He’s the fairest of ten thousand to my soul;
The Apple-tree of trees, in Him alone I see
All I need to cleanse and make me fully whole.
In sorrow He’s my comfort, in trouble He’s my stay,
He tells me every care on Him to roll:
He’s the Apple-tree of trees, the Bright and Morning Star,
He’s the fairest of ten thousand to my soul.
2 He all my griefs has taken, and all my sorrows borne;
In temptation He’s my strong and mighty tower;
I’ve all for Him forsaken, and all my idols torn
From my heart, and now He keeps me by His power.
Though all the world forsake me, and Satan tempt me sore,
Through Jesus I shall safely reach the goal:
He’s the Apple-tree of trees, the Bright and Morning Star,
He’s the fairest of ten thousand to my soul.
3 He’ll never, never leave me, nor yet forsake me here,
While I live by faith and do His blessed will;
A wall of fire about me, I’ve nothing now to fear,
With His manna He my hungry soul shall fill.
Then sweeping up to glory to see His blessed face,
Where rivers of delight shall ever roll:
He’s the Apple-tree of trees, the Bright and Morning Star,
He’s the fairest of ten thousand to my soul.
Prayer Points on Today’s Open Heavens:
Thursday, 18, January, 2024
THE BOOK OF REMEMBRANCE 3
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 creating me, in Your image and likeness; and for Your purpose and pleasure.
2.Thank You, Father, for the precious blood of Jesus that was shed at Calvary, for the remission of my sin.
3.Thank You, Father, for healing me and for saving my soul from eternal destruction in hell fire.
4.Thank You, Father, for crowning me with Your loving kindness and tender mercies.
5.Thank You, for satisfying my life with good things and for renewing my strength, like the eagle's.
6.Thank You, Father, for the great sacrifice paid by Your son, Jesus Christ, in order to deliver me from eternal bondage and destruction.
7.Thank You, Father, for Your loving kindness and tender mercies, over my life .
8.Thank You, Father, for all Your seen and unseen blessings and benefits in my life, including the the gift of eternal life.
9.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.
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.
Isaiah 64:8 (KJV) But now, O LORD, thou art our father; we are the clay, and thou our potter; and we all are the work of thy hand. May the Lord by His mercy take you and I in His hands, melt, mould and fill us with His power and goodness for His use in Jesus mighty name.
OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL
DATE: THURSDAY JANUARY 18TH, 2024.
THEME: THE BOOK OF REMEMBRANCE III
MEMORISE:
Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits:
Psalm 103:2
READ: Psalms 103:1-5
1 Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name.
2 Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits:
3 Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases;
4 Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies;
5 Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle's.
MESSAGE
Today, I will be discussing how needful it is for men to also open a book of remembrance of God's goodness so that they can give Him praise like the psalmist in our Bible reading today.
Over the years, I have come to realise that many people easily forget the goodness of God to them. For example, when things are going fine, it is easy for a fellow to be full of praise for his or her Maker. However, when things are not going well, the same fellow may momentarily forget all that the Lord has done for him or her and immediately begin to complain. David also realised this tendency in men to forget what God has done for them quickly, hence the reminder he set for himself in the memory
verse of today.
After setting the reminder in Psalm 103:2 for himself. David went on to open the book of remembrance of God's blessings upon his life and began to praise Him (Psalm 103:3-5). He praised God for forgiving his sins, for healing him, and for saving him from destruction. He went further to praise God for crowning him with loving kindness and tender mercies. David also praised God for satisfying him with good things and for renewing his strength like the eagle's.
Beloved, it is very important that you always remember the goodness of the Lord upon your life. You were created in His image, and this is enough reason for you to thank Him at all times. The sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross of calvary for your sins and indeed the sins of the entire world is another major reason to be thankful to God at all times. You should thank Him always for saving you from the consequences of sin and all sorts of evil in the world today. Like David, you must give thanks to God for His loving kindness and tender mercies. The Bible says that you would have been consumed if not for His tender mercies (Lamentations 3:22), so you owe your continued existence to Him.
I am sure that I can go on and on, and I still will not be able to exhaust the list of reasons you should praise God at all times. Beloved, open a book of remembrance of the Lord's goodness over your life today and begin to praise Him.
ACTION POINT
Praise God throughout today and make this a habit going forward.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Exodus 8-10
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!
Prayer Points on Today’s Open Heavens:
Wednesday, 17, January, 2024
THE BOOK OF REMEMBRANCE 2
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 sending Your son, Jesus, into the world to save me from my sins and to give me forgiveness.
2.Thank You, Father, for delivering me from the curse of the law, through the blood of Jesus that was shed at Calvary.
3.Thank You, Father, for giving me the gift of eternal life, through the blood of Jesus.
4.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.
5.Father, let every evil act recorded against me be wiped away by the blood of Jesus.
6.Father, by Your mercy, remember not my sins and close Your eyes against my transgressions, in Jesus name.
7.Father, let no negative book of remembrance be opened concerning me, in Jesus name.
8.Father, release upon my life the power and the grace, to live above sin and above all the activities of the flesh, henceforth, in Jesus name.
9.Father, let every evil book of remembrance opened on my behalf, be shut down, permanently, 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 63:9 (KJV) But those that seek my soul, to destroy it, shall go into the lower parts of the earth. May the LORD who neither sleeps nor slumbers watch over you, shield you from the evil plans of wickedness, cause the wicked to go into the lower part of the earth and keep you standing strong for Him that never fails in Jesus mighty name.
