Open Heavens Daily Devotional by Pastor E.A. Adeboye

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL

DATE: WEDNESDAY MAY 8TH, 2024.

THEME: THE SNARE OF THE FOWLER III

MEMORISE: 

And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.     

Matthew 5:29

READ: Matthew 6:22-23 

22 The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light.

23 But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!

MESSAGE

Yesterday, I promised to discuss the three major qualities that make the devil's baits effective. The first bait the devil ever used was the forbidden fruit. When you read Genesis 3:6, you will see all the qualities of the devil's bait in the fruit. Eve saw that the

fruit was pleasant to the eyes. The fowler's bait is usually attractive and difficult to ignore.

The devil studies a fellow and knows the things that he or she is attracted to. You will hardly see a man commit adultery with a woman he considers ugly. The bait the enemy will use is usually attractive. Don't be fooled by its attractiveness; it has death in it. In Judges 16:4, Samson 'fell in lust' with Delilah and threw all caution to the wind. The devil used his attraction to her to bait him into a trap that eventually destroyed him. There are probably things around you that you are attracted to that are sinful or that may cause you to sin. It is a trap that you should beware of so that you will not become prey to the devil.

If a man is attracted to light-skinned women, the devil will put them all around him as temptations to commit fornication or adultery. If he is attracted to flashy cars, the devil will keep bringing flashy cars his way. If he lets his lust for flashy cars push him to steal, then the devil has caught him. This is why Christians must circumcise their hearts to change their affections.

Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.  Colossians 3:2

Do not be too attracted to the things of the world. You must soak yourself in the word of God. Let His word abide in you so much that the only things that are attractive to you are the things that please Him. Guard Your heart with all diligence, for out of it flows the issues of life (Proverbs 4:23). Beware of the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life (1 John 2:16). If you discover that things of the world are becoming more attractive to you than the things of God, it means that you are vulnerable to the devil's snare. Declare a fast for yourself, go on a retreat and spend quality time in God's presence till that lust dies.

KEY POINT

The devil knows what you are attracted to, and he will use that as bait to get you.

Beware!

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 2 Chronicles 5-7

AUTHOR: PASTOR E.A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 31:  YIELD NOT TO TEMPTATION

Yield not to temptation, for yielding is sin;

Each vict’ry will help you some other to win;

Fight manfully onward, dark passions subdue;

Look ever to Jesus, He will carry you through.

Refrain:

Ask the Savior to help you,

Comfort, strengthen, and keep you;

He is willing to aid you,

He will carry you through.

Shun evil companions, bad language disdain,

God’s name hold in rev’rence, nor take it in vain;

Be thoughtful and earnest, kindhearted and true;

Look ever to Jesus, He will carry you through.

To him that o’ercometh, God giveth a crown,

Through faith we will conquer, though often cast down;

He who is our Savior, our strength will renew;

Look ever to Jesus, He will carry you through.

Open Heavens Daily Devotional by Pastor E.A. Adeboye

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL

DATE: TUESDAY MAY 7TH, 2024.

THEME: THE SNARE OF THE FOWLER II

MEMORISE: 

For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes and the pride of life is not of the Father but is of the world.     

1 John 2:16

READ: James 1:12-16 

12 Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.

13 Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man:

14 But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.

15 Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.

16 Do not err, my beloved brethren.

MESSAGE

Shall the prey be taken from the mighty, or the lawful captive delivered?  Isaiah 49:24

According to the word of God, anyone who catches prey with a trap like l described yesterday can legally lay claim to it. There are lawful captives of the enemy. We have tried to cast demons out of people before, and they would say, you are trespassing because this fellow belongs to us. They walked into our trap. For example, I once had a student who was on his way to his National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) station when he fell sick. The doctor said he was allergic to rice. When they brought him to me, and as I was about to pray for him, the Lord said that he had to make restitution. It turned out his father stole a neighbor’s bicycle to pay his school fees, and the owner placed a curse on the thief. His father died from an allergic reaction to rice, and now the son was on the same path. If that had not been revealed to me, we would have prayed in futility because the boy was a lawful captive.

I told him to buy a bicycle for the man's son because the man was late. Incidentally, when he returned after doing so, I was about to eat rice. He ate my rice, finished it, and nothing happened to him. Another boy was brought to me for prayers because he was barking. This boy had been having sex with their dog in the house. I prayed, but the barking did not stop. I advised the parents to keep bringing him for the Holy Ghost service every month and be hopeful that God will have mercy and deliver the

lawful captive from his captor. When a fellow walks into the trap of the enemy after being lured by his or her lust, the devil can lawfully lay a claim on the fellow.

In our Bible reading for today, Apostle James tells us clearly that God does not tempt anyone, but rather, people are tempted by their own lusts, which result in sin and then death eventually. The bait the devil uses does not usually look like death. The bait has three major qualities to make it effective: it is usually attractive to the prey, it is pleasant to the prey's taste, and it invokes the prey's pride.

I will discuss these qualities in detail in the following days because I believe God that after this study, you will never fall into the devil's trap.

KEY POINT

Beware of the things you lust after; they are baits of the devil that will lead to death eventually.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 2 Chronicles 1-4

AUTHOR: PASTOR E.A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 28: GUIDE ME, O THOU GREAT JEHOVAH

1 Guide me, O thou  great Jehovah

pilgrim through this barren land;

I am weak, but you are mighty;

hold me with your powerful hand.

Bread of heaven, bread of heaven,

feed me now and evermore,

feed me now and evermore.

2 Open now the crystal fountain,

where the healing waters flow.

Let the fire and cloudy pillar

lead me all my journey through.

Strong Deliverer, strong Deliverer,

ever be my strength and shield,

ever be my strength and shield.

3 When I tread the verge of Jordan,

bid my anxious fears subside.

Death of death, and hell's Destruction,

land me safe on Canaan's side.

Songs of praises, songs of praises

I will ever sing to you,

I will ever sing to you.

Open Heavens Prayer Points

Prayer Points on Today’s Open Heavens:

Monday, 6  May 2024

The Snare of the Fowler 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 see 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 Point

1.I worship and adore You my Father, for not giving me as a prey to the teeth of Fowler Inspite of my sins.

2.Thank You Father for making my soul to escape as a bird out of the snare of the fowlers: the snare is broken, and I have escaped by Your grace and mercy.

3.Thank You Father for empowering Jesus to triumph over Satan on the cross at Calvary.

4.Thank You Father for the precious Jesus of Jesus that was shed to over come Satan at Calvary.

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, I scatter every plan of the Fowler over my life, family and destiny by the precious blood of Jesus.

7..Father, shut the mouth of every roaring lion walking about seeking to devour me, in Jesus name.

8.I reject every offering prepaired by the devil as a  baitt to lure me into his trap in Jesus name.

9Father, please admit me into Your secret place where the hand of the devil cannot reach to catch me, 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 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: MONDAY MAY 6TH, 2024.

THEME: THE SNARE OF THE FOWLER I

MEMORISE: 

Be sober, be vigilant because your adversary the devil as a roaring lion walketh about seeking whom he may devour.   

1 Peter 5:8

READ: Psalms 124:6-8 

6 Blessed be the LORD, who hath not given us as a prey to their teeth.

7 Our soul is escaped as a bird out of the snare of the fowlers: the snare is broken, and we are escaped.

8 Our help is in the name of the LORD, who made heaven and earth.

MESSAGE

The Bible teaches that there are some people called fowlers who hunt for souls. A very good example of a fowler is an adulteress (Proverbs 6:26). The Bible says that she hunts for precious life. The chief of all fowlers is the devil (1 Peter 5:8).

A fowler uses a snare to entrap prey. I grew up on a farm, and we used to get our meat by trapping 7animals. In the evenings, we would get traps, dig into the soil, put the traps in the hole, cover them with leaves, and sprinkle soil on the leaves so that everything would look normal. After setting the traps, we would put baits (usually corn) on both sides of the traps and then go to bed. At night, when an animal sees the bait around a trap, it will go close and eat some of the corn. When it sees that nothing happens, it moves forward, eats a little more and then goes on until it finishes all the corn on one side. Since it has eaten all the corn on one side, it ignorantly attempts to cross over to eat the corn on the other side, and suddenly, as it steps on the trap, it snaps shut and catches the animal. By morning, it is in our cooking pot. There are countless people in hell today because they tasted sin and nothing seemed to happen, so they kept sinning until they got caught in the devil's trap.

Many young ladies from good homes who were taught to keep their virginity have ended up badly because they had sex once, and since nothing happened, they continued until they got pregnant, contracted a disease, or became fully immersed in that terrible lifestyle. One thing a trapped animal experiences when the trap snaps shut is great fear. Likewise, one of the signs that a fellow is in trouble is fear.

The one who is caught in the trap of the fowler is called prey. Interestingly, prey sounds like pray. If a Christian does not pray, he or she will become prey. Psalm 91:3 Says that the one who dwells in the secret place of the Most High will be delivered from the snare of the fowlers. If you don't want to fall into the snare of the fowlers, your secret place with your Father must be on fire. If your altars grow cold, you may soon find yourself in the cooking pot. Pray fervently for at least one hour every day, and it will be difficult for you to be the devil's prey.

KEY POINT

If you don't pray, you will become prey to the devil.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 1 Chronicles 27-29

AUTHOR: PASTOR E.A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 22: SWEET HOUR OF PRAYER

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!

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!

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!

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!”

Open Heavens Daily Devotional by Pastor E.A. Adeboye

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL

DATE: FRIDAY MAY 3RD 2024

THEME: ETERNITY

MEMORISE: 

Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

1 Thessalonians 4:17

READ: John 14:1-3 

1 Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.

2 In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.

3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.

MESSAGE

To some, eternity seems like a far-off idea that should not be given us much thought. However, it is a reality you must not lose sight of. The truth is everyone will have to ask themselves, where will l spend eternity? God has provided answers to this question in the Bible and has made them plain and accessible because He does not want eternity and the events surrounding it to take anyone unawares. It is therefore surprising that some Christians live in this world without eternity on their minds. Such Christians can be easily spotted from their lifestyles and attitudes toward the things of God. They live as if they will be on earth forever.

whereas Hebrews 13:14 says:

For here have we no continuing city, but seek one to come.

This was not the lifestyle of the heroes of faith. From the things they set their affections on, and their confessions people could tell that they were eternity minded. Hebrews 11:13-14 tells us that they saw themselves as strangers and pilgrims on earth. Hebrews 11:16 say:

But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city.

What a glorious testimony this is. I desire this for myself, and I pray that you will also have such a testimony, in Jesus' name.

Don't let the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches blur your vision of the place Christ has prepared for you. Eternity is real, and where a person spends eternity is determined by the way he or she lives in this present world (Romans 2:3-10). The place Christ has prepared for you is a place where you will no longer die, it is a place of joy and pleasant experiences (Revelation 21:1-7). On the other hand, there is another place where whoever rejects God's grace in Christ will spend eternity.

This place was prepared to punish the devil and his demons, but those who live their lives to please the world, their flesh, or the devil will also partake in it (Matthew 25:41). It is a place of everlasting fire and pain. May you not be found there, in Jesus' name. To escape this horrible and eternal torment, give your life to Christ today, and if you have done so, Iive holy and remain eternity-minded.

PRAYER POINT

Father, please don't let me miss eternity with You.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 1 Chronicles 17-19 

AUTHOR: PASTOR E.A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 2: AMAZING GRACEFULLY 

1. Amazing grace! How sweet the sound

That saved a wretch like me!

I once was lost, but now am found;

Was blind, but now I see.

2. ’Twas grace that taught my heart to fear,

And grace my fears relieved;

How precious did that grace appear

The hour I first believed.

3. Through many dangers, toils, and snares,

I have already come;

’Tis grace hath brought me safe thus far,

And grace will lead me home.

4. The Lord has promised good to me,

His Word my hope secures;

He will my Shield and Portion be,

As long as life endures.

5. Yea, when this flesh and heart shall fail,

And mortal life shall cease,

I shall possess, within the veil,

A life of joy and peace.

6. The earth shall soon dissolve like snow,

The sun forbear to shine;

But God, who called me here below,

Will be forever mine.

7. When we’ve been there ten thousand years,

Bright shining as the sun,

We’ve no less days to sing God’s praise

Than when we’d first begun.

Open Heavens Prayer Points

Prayer Points on Today’s Open Heavens:

Thursday, 2  May 2024

Alpha and Omega

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 see 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 Point

1.I worship and adore You, my Father, You're the Alpha and Omega; the beginning and the end; the first and the last.

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, come and complete every uncompleted project in my life, in Jesus name.

4.Father, please, come and guide and lead me through this wilderness of life, since all things are under Your control, in Jesus name.

5.Father, You're the all knowing God; I put my trust in You and I lean not on my own understanding, please, come and see me through this journey of life, in Jesus name.

6.Father,  please, come and show me the treasures of darkness and hidden riches, in secret places, in Jesus name.

7.Father, You're my shepherd, please, take over my life, and lead and guide me in the way, that I may have good success, in Jesus name.

8.Father, please, reveal unto me, deep and secret things that I do not know, in Jesus name.

9.Father, You're the God that knows the end from the beginning, please, let every step that I take in life, be informed and directed by Your divine leading and counsels, 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 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 2ND, MAY 2024.

THEME: ALPHA AND OMEGA

MEMORISE: 

Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure:

Isaiah 46:10

READ: John 1:1-5

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

2 The same was in the beginning with God.

3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.

4 In him was life; and the life was the light of men.

5 And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.

MESSAGE

In Revelation 1:8, our Lord Jesus Christ reveals Himself as the Alpha and the Omega. Later on in Revelation 21:6, He describes Himself as the Beginning and the End. For further emphasis, in Revelation 22:13, He said, "I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last." This means that everything starts and ends with Him.

From the Scriptures above, you will clearly see that you cannot start anything without God's permission, and you cannot finish anything without His approval. This is good news for you, especially if you are about to embark on a project. Just talk to the Alpha and Omega about it.

God is the One who began this world, and He is the One who will end it. In other words, everything in this world is under His control, therefore, when you are close to Him and let Him guide you throughout your life, you will have a better quality of life because the One in control is your guide. This is why Proverbs 3:5 says:

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

God knows what will happen before it happens. He knows where there is danger and where your blessings are hiding. He said in Isaiah 45:3 that He will show you the treasures of darkness and the hidden riches in secret places. He knows these things because He is the Beginning and the End. This is why David wrote confidently:

The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.    Psalm 23:1-2

lf l may ask, who is your shepherd? Who guides you through life? For me, I know that I am too foolish to go through life on my own, and this is why I have made the beginning and the End my shepherd. When I was looking to buy land for the Redeemed Christian Church of God's Campground, I admired a particular location because it was on a major road, and in my own limited mind, it was perfect. However, God guided us to the location we are now, which has now proven to be so much better because He is the End. Those who let Him guide their decisions never regret it.

ACTION POINT

Let God guide your every move and decision. He knows the end from the beginning.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 1 Chronicles 13-16

AUTHOR: PASTOR E.A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 28: GUIDE ME, O THOU GREAT JEHOVAH

Guide me, O thou  great Jehovah

Pilgrim through this barren land;

I am weak, but Thou art mighty,

Hold me with Thy pow’rful hand.

Bread of heaven, Bread of heaven,

Feed me till I want no more;

Feed me till I want no more.

1. Open now the crystal fountain,

Whence the healing stream doth flow;

Let the fire and cloudy pillar

Lead me all my journey through.

Strong Deliv’rer, strong Deliv’rer,

Be Thou still my Strength and Shield;

Be Thou still my Strength and Shield.

2. Lord, I trust Thy mighty power,

Wondrous are Thy works of old;

Thou deliver’st Thine from thralldom,

Who for naught themselves had sold:

Thou didst conquer, Thou didst conquer

Sin and Satan and the grave,

Sin and Satan and the grave.

3. When I tread the verge of Jordan,

Bid my anxious fears subside;

Death of death and hell’s Destruction,

Land me safe on Canaan’s side.

Songs of praises, songs of praises,

I will ever give to Thee;

I will ever give to Thee.