OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL
DATE: SUNDAY JUNE 2ND, 2024.
THEME: GOD REWARDS
MEMORISE:
Knowing that whatsoever good thing any man doeth, the same shall he receive of the Lord, whether he be bond or free.
Ephesians 6:8
READ: Matthew 6:1-18
1 Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven.
2 Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, they have their reward.
3 But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth:
4 That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly.
5 And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.
6 But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.
7 But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.
8 Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.
9 After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.
10 Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.
11 Give us this day our daily bread.
12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
13 And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen.
14 For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you:
15 But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
16 Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.
17 But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face;
18 That thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret: and thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly.
MESSAGE
In over 50 years that I have been serving God, I have observed that He always rewards those who give to Him and work for Him. As long as you live a holy life as His child, He will thank you for whatever you do for Him.
Some years ago, I was going to Port-Harcourt, a city in Southern Nigeria for a crusade. God told me about a man that I met at the Full Gospel Business Men Fellowship International Conference and said that I should stay in his house. I had only met this man once. I called him and told him what God said, and he shouted and cried in joy. I stayed at his house and grew very fond of his firstborn, who was a very small boy. One day, I was getting ready to go for the crusade when the children arrived from school. I didn't see my little friend, so l asked his father about him, and he told me that he was at the hospital battling for his life. He had ingested some poison while at school. Immediately, I heard God say, "That was why I asked you to stay here."
God had seen in advance that danger was coming to this man's house and that was why He told me to stay there. I later discovered that this man had told all his colleagues in The Full Gospel Business Men Fellowship that he would pay for all their outreaches for one year. With such a sacrifice, it was not surprising that God decided to protect his home from danger. I went to pray for the boy in the hospital on my way to the crusade that evening. When I got there, the Doctor signaled to me that there was no hope, but I prayed, and by the time I returned, I met him at home because he had been discharged. The boy's father had pledged to give to God, and in turn, God rewarded him by saving his son from death.
God rewards us bountifully whenever we give Him anything from the depth of our hearts. In our Bible reading for today, you will understand that God sees all you do for Him in secret and will reward you in the open. He will never forget anything that you do for Him.
Have you done things for God that will make Him determined to give you a great reward?
KEY POINT
Never hesitate to do anything for God because He will surely reward you for it.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Job 31-34
AUTHOR: PASTOR E.A. ADEBOYE
HYMN 26: THERE SHALL BE SHOWERS OF BLESSINGS
1 There shall be showers of blessing:
This is the promise of love;
There shall be seasons refreshing,
Sent from the Savior above.
Refrain
Showers of blessing,
Showers of blessing we need;
Mercy-drops round us are falling,
But for the showers we plead.
2 There shall be showers of blessing—
Precious reviving again;
Over the hills and the valleys,
Sound of abundance of rain.
3 There shall be showers of blessing;
Send them upon us, O Lord!
Grant to us now a refreshing;
Come, and now honor Thy Word.
4 There shall be showers of blessing;
O that today they might fall,
Now as to God we’re confessing,
Now as on Jesus we call!
5 There shall be showers of blessing,
If we but trust and obey;
There shall be seasons refreshing,
If we let God have His way.
