Exodus 15:13 (KJV) Thou in thy mercy hast led forth the people which thou hast redeemed: thou hast guided them in thy strength unto thy holy habitation. May the mercy of the Lord overturn the boast of the aggressor over your life and guide you unto unusual strength in the mighty name Jesus Christ.
OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL
DATE: SATURDAY MARCH 30TH, 2024.
THEME: HE DID IT ALL FOR YOU II
MEMORISE:
For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.
Hebrews 9:26
READ: Matthew 26:37-45
37 And he took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be sorrowful and very heavy.
38 Then saith he unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch with me.
39 And he went a little farther, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.
40 And he cometh unto the disciples, and findeth them asleep, and saith unto Peter, What, could ye not watch with me one hour?
41 Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.
42 He went away again the second time, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if this cup may not pass away from me, except I drink it, thy will be done.
43 And he came and found them asleep again: for their eyes were heavy.
44 And he left them, and went away again, and prayed the third time, saying the same words.
45 Then cometh he to his disciples, and saith unto them, Sleep on now, and take your rest: behold, the hour is at hand, and the Son of man is betrayed into the hands of sinners.
MESSAGE
Jesus knows the end from the beginning, so he knew that what was going to happen to him on the cross would be very terrible. This made Him pray in Matthew 26:39, saying, "...O my Father, if it be possible, let this Cup pass from me:
nevertheless, not as I will, but as thou wilt." The Bible recorded that while He was saying this prayer, His sweat was like blood. This tells us that He took that prayer very seriously. Yet, Jesus still decided to go through with the suffering.
Jesus did not lay down His life out of compulsion. He said clearly in John 10:18 that He laid down His life willingly. That statement is heavy, and it made me ask, "What kind of love will make a man surrender Himself to be humiliated and slaughtered like this?"
I saw the perfect answer to my question in John 15:13 which says:
Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.
This is the greatest kind of love in the world. Jesus loves you more than anyone in the world can ever love you, and He showed it by laying down His life for you.
Again, I asked myself, "What will make a man surrender His life like this?" I saw the answer to this question in John 10:11-12. The Good Shepherd never deserts the sheep when He sees a wolf coming. He stays and protects the sheep from being devoured because of the love He has for the sheep. The devil is the wolf that tries to steal, kill, and destroy, while Jesus is the Good Shepherd that laid down His life for you to have eternal life.
Jesus is the only genuine protection you can get from the claws of the wolf - the devil. If you believe in Him, and surrender your life to Him, the wolf will have no power over you because Jesus has already died for you. The wolf, however, is free to devour anyone that is not following Jesus or believers that stray away from Him.
Beloved, if you don't want to be prey to the devil, give your life to Jesus Christ now. Commit to following Him and Him alone. He paid the ultimate price for you, and He is the only One that can lead you into everlasting lite.
KEY POINT
Only those who are in the flock of the Good Shepherd are safe from the claws of the wolf.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 1 Samuel 28-31
AUTHOR: PASTOR E.A. ADEBOYE
HYMN 19: ROCK OF AGES CLEFT FOR ME
Rock of Ages, cleft for me,
Let me hide myself in Thee;
Let the water and the blood,
From Thy wounded side which flowed,
Be of sin the double cure,
Save from wrath and make me pure.
Not the labor of my hands
Can fulfill Thy law’s demands;
Could my zeal no respite know,
Could my tears forever flow,
All for sin could not atone;
Thou must save, and Thou alone.
Nothing in my hand I bring,
Simply to Thy cross I cling;
Naked, come to Thee for dress;
l
Helpless, look to Thee for grace;
Foul, I to the fountain fly;
Wash me, Savior, or I die.
While I draw this fleeting breath,When my eyes shall close in death,When I rise to worlds unknown,And behold Thee on Thy throne,
Rock of Ages, cleft for me,
Let me hide myself in Thee.
PRAYER POINTS ON TODAY'S OPEN HEAVENS:
Friday, 29 March, 2024
HE DID IT ALL FOR YOU 1
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 so loving me, that You gave Your only son, Jesus, to die for my sin.
2.Thank You, Father, for Your great love for me, in that while I was yet a sinner, You gave Your son, Jesus to die for me.
3.Thank You, Father, for sending Your son, Jesus, to Calvary, to shed His blood for the remission of my sin and the sin of the whole world.
4.Thank You, Father, for delivering me from bondage to sin and Satan, through the death of Christ on the cross.
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, please, cleanse me from all unrighteousness by Your blood that was shed at Calvary, in Jesus' name.
7.Father, please, let Your presence never depart from me, all the days of my life, in Jesus' name.
8.Father, release upon my life the grace to maintain a holy and righteous walk with You, all the days of my life, in Jesus' name.
9.Father, please, empower me by Your grace to live holy, that I may enjoy the benefits of Jesus' death on the cross, in Jesus' name.
10.Father, bless your son, Pastor Enoch Adejare Adeboye; grant him divine health and long life; 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 Spdirit 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
DATE: FRIDAY MARCH 29TH, 2024.
THEME: HE DID IT ALL FOR YOU I
MEMORISE:
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
John 3:16
READ: Romans 5:6-8
6 For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.
7 For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die.
8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
MESSAGE
When Jesus Christ was on the cross, He appeared to be helpless. This was a man who could call 12 legions of angels to come to His rescue, yet, He was nailed to a cross, and it seemed like he was helpless. Truly, what can a person whose hands and feet have been nailed to a cross do? For example, while Jesus was on the cross, he said, "I thirst." Instead of giving Him water, they gave Him vinegar, and He could do nothing about it. This was not because He did not have the power to do whatever He wanted, but because if He had saved Himself at that time, you and I would have become preys to the devil. So, because of His love for us, He was helpless. He became helpless so that you can be helped. If you have been washed by the blood of Jesus, you will never lack help, in Jesus' name.
On the cross, Jesus was lonely. He cried in Matthew 27:46, "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me. "He was not even talking about how His disciples forsook Him. They left Him when He was arrested, but now, even God forsook Him. That was the biggest heartbreak for Him because there had never been a time when God was not with Him. However, He went through all that so that God can be with you always. He went through that grueling experience so that you will never be alone and so that whenever you call on God, He will answer you.
Everything that happened at Calvary was sorrowful for Jesus; you cannot experience such pain and shame and not be sorrowful. He, however, put Himself through that sorrow so that you can have joy. Therefore, if you are truly washed in the blood of Jesus Christ, everything causing you sorrow is banished now, in Jesus' name.
He did it all for you to have a life that is beyond what this world can give you – eternal life. The question now is, are you enjoying the benefits of the sacrifice He made for you on the cross? Are you truly washed in His blood? Are you living your life like Christ? The benefits of the sacrifice He paid are only for those who live holy. Anyone who truly lives holy will experience the benefits of Jesus' sacrifice on the cross. I have made up my mind to live holy for the rest of my life, what about you?
KEY POINT
Only those who live holy will enjoy the benefits of Jesus' death on the cross.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 1 Samuel 25-27
AUTHOR: PASTOR E.A. ADEBOYE
HYMN 27: WHAT A FRIEND WE HAVE IN JESUS
What a friend we have in Jesus,
All our sins and griefs to bear!
What a privilege to carry
Everything to God in prayer!
Oh, what peace we often forfeit,
Oh, what needless pain we bear,
All because we do not carry
Everything to God in prayer!
Have we trials and temptations?
Is there trouble anywhere?
We should never be discouraged—
Take it to the Lord in prayer.
Can we find a friend so faithful,
Who will all our sorrows share?
Jesus knows our every weakness;
Take it to the Lord in prayer.
Are we weak and heavy-laden,
Cumbered with a load of care?
Precious Savior, still our refuge—
Take it to the Lord in prayer.
Do thy friends despise, forsake thee?
Take it to the Lord in prayer!
In His arms He’ll take and shield thee,
Thou wilt find a solace there.
Blessed Savior, Thou hast promised
Thou wilt all our burdens bear;
May we ever, Lord, be bringing
All to Thee in earnest prayer.
Soon in glory bright, unclouded,
There will be no need for prayer—
Rapture, praise, and endless worship
Will be our sweet portion there.
OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL
DATE: THURSDAY MARCH 28TH, 2024.
THEME: CHRISTIANITY IS PERSONAL
MEMORISE:
Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.
Jeremiah 1:5
READ: John 10:3-4
3 To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out.
4 And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice.
MESSAGE
Whenever God wants to talk to a congregation, no matter how large, He will address individuals. Revelations 3:20 was written to an entire Church, but He said, “If any man…” John 3:16 says, “God loved the whole world, that He gave His only begotten son, that whosoever…”
We came into this world one at a time. Genesis 25:21-26 makes it clear that even when twins are born, they come out one at a time. Even if the twins are to be delivered by a Caesarean operation, the doctor will bring one out first before the second. Romans 14:12 says that we are all going to give an account of ourselves before God. The messages you read in this devotional are not for everybody, they are for you in particular.
Whenever David wants to talk about something very serious, he personalises it. In Psalms 23:1, he said, “The Lord is MY shepherd; I shall not want.” He didn’t say, “The Lord is our shepherd. Whenever some brethren want to close a service, they will say, “Surely, goodness and mercy shall follow us all the days of our lives, and we shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” I always wonder where they got that from because it is not written in my Bible. What is written is, “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever” (Psalms 23:6). Goodness and mercy are not for us they are for me. The result of my dwelling is for me, not for US.
In Psalms 27:8, David said,
“When you said, seek my face, my heart says, thy face will I seek.” I don’t know what others are thinking, how far they want to go in the Lord, and how hungry and thirsty for God they are. I cannot thirst and hunger for God on their behalf. Don’t let someone else’s lack of hunger for God affect you, even if he is your pastor. Your walk with God is personal. When you come face to face with God in judgement, you will give an account of yourself individually. So, if you see someone who does not take his Christian life seriously, don’t let it bother you; Christianity is an individual matter.
Seek the face of God and encourage others to do so, but don’t let their laxity influence you.
REFLECTION
Christianity is completely personal. Don’t let anyone’s behaviour hinder your individual walk with God.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: I Samuel 19-21
AUTHOR: PASTOR E.A. ADEBOYE
HYMN 7: I AM THINE O LORD
1 I am Thine, O Lord, I have heard Thy voice,
And it told Thy love to me;
But I long to rise in the arms of faith,
And be closer drawn to Thee.
Refrain:
Draw me nearer, nearer, nearer, blessed Lord,
To the cross where Thou hast died;
Draw me nearer, nearer, nearer, blessed Lord,
To Thy precious, bleeding side.
2 Consecrate me now to Thy service, Lord,
By the pow’r of grace divine;
Let my soul look up with a steadfast hope,
And my will be lost in Thine.
3 Oh, the pure delight of a single hour
That before Thy throne I spend,
When I kneel in prayer, and with Thee, my God,
I commune as friend with friend!
4 There are depths of love that I cannot know
Till I cross the narrow sea;
There are heights of joy that I may not reach
Till I rest in peace with Thee.
Prayer Points on Today’s Open Heavens:
Wednesday, 27 March, 2024
Thou Shall Not Steal
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.I worship and adore You, my Father, You're the creator and the commander of the entire universe.
2.Thank You, Father, for Your promise to provide for me and to always meet me at the points of my needs.
3.Thank You, Father, for Your express commandment that I should not steal.
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, release upon my life, the grace to obey all Your commandments and empower me by Your grace to restitute, whatever I have taken in the past, that does not belong to me, in Jesus name.
6.Father, let every spirit of covetousness and stealing, in any form , be completely consumed in my life, by Your fire, in Jesus name.
7.Father, let me never be involved in corruption, internet fraud and other stealing vices, in Jesus name.
8.Father, whenever the temptation to steal comes my way, please, quickly, make a way of escape for me, in Jesus name.
9.Father, whatever, I lay my hands upon to do for a living and sustainance, please, let me prosper, in Jesus name.
10.Father, bless your son, Pastor Enoch Adejare Adeboye; grant him divine health and long life; 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 Spdirit 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
DATE: WEDNESDAY MARCH 27TH, 2024.
THEME: THOU SHALL NOT STEAL
MEMORISE:
Thou shalt not steal.
Exodus 20:15
READ: Ephesians 4:27-28
27 Neither give place to the devil.
28 Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth.
MESSAGE
The lust of the eyes, the pride of life, and the lust of the flesh are reasons many take what belongs to other people. The obsession to have it all without working for them and being controlled by material things will eventually lead to stealing. God wants you to have everything you truly need but in His own way and at His own time. He is willing to give you everything you need and more, but you must seek Him and His righteousness first.
Nobody can bless you more than God, so it is better to wait for God’s blessing because it will make you rich without any form of sorrow being added to it (Proverbs 10:22). Don’t let the devil deceive you with flashy things. Mark 8:36 says that all the material gains in the world will profit you nothing if you lose your soul. Beloved, please do not trade your soul for material gains by stealing. Nothing at all in this world is worth your soul.
God frowns strongly at stealing. If you desire to have more, work more. Do not take from those who have laboured for their possessions. Some people try to categorise and rationalise stealing. For example, some people will say corruption is not stealing. Some will even try to explain why internet fraud is different from stealing. Beloved, the moment a person takes something that does not belong to him or her without the permission of the owner or under false pretences, that fellow has stolen.
In 1 Corinthians 6:10, the Bible makes it clear that no thief will enter heaven. The devil is the father of thieves because, according to John 10:10, stealing is his first assignment in any man’s life. My father in the Lord, Pa Josiah Akindayomi, used to say that your father will take care of you with whatever he has. If your father is God, then He will take care of you with healings, blessings, and long life, but if your father is the devil, he will take care of you with sicknesses, marital problems, death, and the like. Thieves should never expect God to answer their prayers because God is not their father.
In Leviticus 6:4 and Exodus 22:1-4 God said that if you have stolen something, you are to return it to the fellow you stole from in double fold. Don’t keep stolen property in your possession. Finally, let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth (Ephesians 4:28).
KEY POINT
Stealing puts you in the camp of the devil and gives him lordship over you. Don’t steal.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: I Samuel 19-21
AUTHOR: PASTOR E.A. ADEBOYE
HYMN 31: I YELD NOT TO TEMPTATION
1 Yield not to temptation, for yielding is sin;
Each victory will help you some other to win
Fight manfully onward, dark passions subdue;
Look ever to Jesus, He'll carry you through.
Ask the Savior to help you,
Comfort, strengthen, and keep you;
He is willing to aid you, He will carry you through.
2. Shun evil companions, bad language disdain;
God's name hold in reverence, nor take it in vain;
Be thoughtful and earnest, kindhearted and true;
Look ever to Jesus, He'll carry you through.
3. To him that o'ercometh, God giveth a crown,
Thro' faith we will conquer, though often cast down;
He who is our Saviour,
our strength will renew;
Look ever to Jesus, He'll carry you through.
