Open Heavens Daily Devotional by Pastor E.A. Adeboye

 OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL 

DATE: FRIDAY JANUARY 10TH 2025

TOPIC: YOU MUST AVOID CURSES 1

MEMORISE:

“Abstain from all appearance of evil.” - (1 Thessalonians 5:22)

READ: GENESIS 4:3-16 (KJV)

3 And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the LORD.

4 And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the LORD had respect unto Abel and to his offering:

5 But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell.

6 And the LORD said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen?

7 If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him.

8 And Cain talked with Abel his brother: and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother, and slew him.

9 And the LORD said unto Cain, Where is Abel thy brother? And he said, I know not: Am I my brother's keeper?

10 And he said, What hast thou done? the voice of thy brother's blood crieth unto me from the ground.

11 And now art thou cursed from the earth, which hath opened her mouth to receive thy brother's blood from thy hand;

12 When thou tillest the ground, it shall not henceforth yield unto thee her strength; a fugitive and a vagabond shalt thou be in the earth.

13 And Cain said unto the LORD, My punishment is greater than I can bear.

14 Behold, thou hast driven me out this day from the face of the earth; and from thy face shall I be hid; and I shall be a fugitive and a vagabond in the earth; and it shall come to pass, that every one that findeth me shall slay me.

15 And the LORD said unto him, Therefore whosoever slayeth Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold. And the LORD set a mark upon Cain, lest any finding him should kill him.

16 And Cain went out from the presence of the LORD, and dwelt in the land of Nod, on the east of Eden.

MESSAGE:

A curse is a summon to spiritual forces to work against someone or a group of people, while a divine curse is a summon to all forces in heaven, on earth, and beneath the earth to do the same. No matter how strong you are, I'm sure you don't want any spiritual force to work against you; hence, you must avoid curses.

In Judges 9:5-57, we see an example of a curse impacting an entire city. Jotham had escaped being killed by his brother, Abimelech, who had killed seventy of his brothers, and he responded by placing a curse on Abimelech and the men of Shechem who helped him. Three years later, God allowed an evil spirit to execute the curse, leading to chaos and destruction in the land and, ultimately, Abimelech's death.

I heard a story when I was young that helped shape my actions as I grew older. It was reported that a young man who was travelling on a journey passed by an old man and laughed mockingly at him for no reason. The old man responded by saying, "I may be too weak to do anything, but the basket is never satisfied with water." After saying this, he continued on his way. Suddenly, the young man felt an intense thirst, so he rushed to the nearest hut to drink some water before continuing his journey. Shortly after, he became thirsty again, and he stopped at another hut to drink more water. After many more similar stops, some people sensed that something was amiss. They questioned him, and he told them the old man's statement. They shouted, "Ah! That is a curse." They found the old man and begged him to forgive the young man. He agreed, released him from the curse, and immediately, the intense thirst stopped.

Beloved, avoid actions that can attract curses to you. Honour elders, and do not cheat or hurt other people. If you have done nothing wrong and someone curses you, it will not come to pass because a causeless curse will never come into effect (Proverbs 26:2).

When you study your Bible, you will see that certain actions can attract curses from God; avoid them like a plague. If a man's curse can be as powerful as the one in the story I shared above, how much more curses from God? I will discuss more about avoiding God's curses tomorrow.

If there's any curse currently operating in your life, I decree that it will be broken today, in Jesus' name. 

 KEY POINT:

Be wise; avoid anything that can attract a curse. 

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: GENESIS 32-35

AUTHOR PASTOR E A ADEBOYE 

HYMNAL: 28 - GUIDE ME, O THOU GREAT JEHOVAH 

1 Guide me, O my great Redeemer,

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 DEVOTIONAL

Thursday, 9th January 2025

KEEP PUSHING

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.Father, I worship You for pulling me out from the wreckage of sin into the light of eternal life in Christ Jesus.

2.Father, thank You for giving me a new life and making me a new person through my new birth in Christ Jesus 

3.Father, please, until Christ is formed in me, help me to continually behold Your word; help me to continually thirst and hunger for righteousness, in Jesus' name.

4.Father, please, help me never to get weary, never to stop fasting and praying so I won't miss the glory You have prepared for me, in Jesus' name.

5.Father, please, no matter the great things I may have achieved for You or the persecution I will suffer, help me never to give up on following You, in Jesus' name.

6.Father, please, help me no matter the pressure to deny You, help me to hold unto my salvation in You. Help me not to miss my heavenly crown, in Jesus' name.

7.Father, ‭having put my hand to the plough, help me never to look back, so I can be fit for the kingdom of God, in Jesus' name.

8.Father, please, don't let the pleasures of this life distract me; I refuse to allow sin lure me out of the way of righteousness; help me not to give up now, in Jesus' name.

9.Father, please, help me not to be weary in well doing, in Jesus' name.

10.‭Father, keep me soaring until the end when You come to take up the redeemed, in Jesus' name 

11.Father, please, keep me standing until I see You in glory, in Jesus' name.

12.Father, thank You for helping Your son, Pastor Enoch Adejare Adeboye in all areas of life.

Help him to keep pushing in holiness and righteousness in You; bless his ministry, home, and family (biological and spiritual), and help them to remain a shining light forever, in Jesus' name.

13.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.

14.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.

15.Your Personal petitions.

( Philippians 4:6)

16..In Jesus' name I pray.

(John 14:13-14; 15:16)

17.Thank You Father for answered prayers.

(1 Thessalonians 5:18).

#happy2025

#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 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 JANUARY 9TH 2025

TOPIC: KEEP PUSHING

MEMORISE:

“But ye, brethren, be not weary in well doing.” - (2 Thessalonians 3:13)

READ: LUKE 9:57-62 (KJV)

57 And it came to pass, that, as they went in the way, a certain man said unto him, Lord, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest.

58 And Jesus said unto him, Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head.

59 And he said unto another, Follow me. But he said, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father.

60 Jesus said unto him, Let the dead bury their dead: but go thou and preach the kingdom of God.

61 And another also said, Lord, I will follow thee; but let me first go bid them farewell, which are at home at my house.

62 And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.

MESSAGE:

During natural childbirth, a woman is required to push the baby out. No matter how many times she pushes, until the baby comes out, she must keep pushing. The moment she gives the final push that brings the baby out, she becomes a new person - a mother.

As a Christian, you will never be done pushing until you have put on a new body in Christ. No matter how much you have achieved in the past, you must keep pushing until you see the Lord in glory (Philippians 3:13-14). Many people started out right; they achieved many great things for God, but as time went on, they stopped pushing. They stopped fasting and praying as they used to, and they missed the glory that would have been theirs.

At a time when there was serious persecution against Christians in Russia, five Christian boys were captured by Russian soldiers and thrown into a freezing pond in the middle of winter. The soldiers started a fire and said that those who would deny Jesus could come out of the pond and warm themselves by the fire. Slowly, the boys started freezing, and at a point, one of them called out to the soldiers and said that he was ready to deny Jesus. As one of the soldiers went to get him out, the Lord opened his eyes, and he saw five angels holding crowns, one for each of the boys. However, the angel holding the crown of the boy who had denied Jesus was turning back to return with the crown. That boy had suffered for long for Christ, but at the tail end, he gave up and missed his crown.

Beloved, it doesn't matter how much you have done for God; if you give up now, you will miss your crown. Don't let the pleasures of this life distract you; don't let the lure of sin take you out of the way of righteousness. Keep pushing by praying, studying your Bible, fasting, attending fellowships, and living holy. Do not be weary in well doing (Galatians 6:9).

In Philippians 3:13, Apostle Paul said, "Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before," Forget the things you have achieved in the past; they are not as important as the things you must do for God in the future. I pray that you will keep soaring until the end, in Jesus' name. 

 PRAYER POINT:

Father, please keep me standing until I see You in glory. 

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: GENESIS 29-31

AUTHOR PASTOR E A ADEBOYE 

HYMN: 12 - ONWARDS, 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 sign of triumph

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,D

loud your anthems 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 Onward, then, ye people,

join our happy throng,

Blend with ours your voices

in the triumph song;

Glory, laud, and honor,

unto Christ the King;

This thro' countless ages

men and angels sing.

Open Heavens Prayer Points

PRAYER POINTS ON TODAY'S OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL

Wednesday, 8th January 2025

GROWING IN WISDOM

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.Father, I worship You for You are the Ancient of days, the All knowing God, the All wise, and the giver of wisdom and knowledge.

2.Father, thank You for giving generously to everyone that asked wisdom and understanding because You are the Almighty God.

3.Father, Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man; because I believe in Jesus, may I also increase in Your wisdom, in Jesus' name.

4.Father, please, as I grow older in age, may I never be "old for nothing", in Jesus' name.

5.Father, please, help all the children You have given to me to make the right choices that will make them end well in life; deliver them from the foolishness in their hearts, in Jesus' name.

6.Father, please, help me to walk with You all through my life. Sweet Holy Spirit, give me wisdom and help me to continually apply Your wisdom to make my life better, in Jesus' name.

7.Father, The Holy Spirit is the source of all knowledge and wisdom, please, let Your inspiration give me understanding of all that I need to know, in Jesus' name.

8.Father, please, regardless of the ages of our young men and women, help them to yield to the instructions of the Holy Spirit and to walk in Your wisdom  in Jesus' name.

9.Father, please, make me wise, open my eyes of understanding to recognize dangers and avoid them as much as possible, in Jesus' name.

10.‭Father, I have my mind made up, I choose to be holy because I want to see You, help my decision, in Jesus' name 

11.Father, please, help me to grow in wisdom with the help of the Holy Spirit, in Jesus' name.

12.Father, thank You for helping Your son, Pastor Enoch Adejare Adeboye in all areas of life.

Help him to grow daily in wisdom by the help of the Holy Spirit; bless his ministry, home, and family (biological and spiritual), and help them to remain a shining light forever, in Jesus' name.

13.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.

14.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.

15.Your Personal petitions.

( Philippians 4:6)

16..In Jesus' name I pray.

(John 14:13-14; 15:16)

17.Thank You Father for answered prayers.

(1 Thessalonians 5:18).

#happy2025

#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 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: WEDNESDAY JANUARY 8TH 2025

TOPIC: GROWING IN WISDOM

MEMORISE:

“And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man.” - (Luke 2:52)

READ: JOB 32:4-9 (KJV)

4 Now Elihu had waited till Job had spoken, because they were elder than he.

5 When Elihu saw that there was no answer in the mouth of these three men, then his wrath was kindled.

6 And Elihu the son of Barachel the Buzite answered and said, I am young, and ye are very old; wherefore I was afraid, and durst not shew you mine opinion.

7 I said, Days should speak, and multitude of years should teach wisdom.

8 But there is a spirit in man: and the inspiration of the Almighty giveth them understanding.

9 Great men are not always wise: neither do the aged understand judgment.

MESSAGE:

The longer you have spent on earth, the wiser you are expected to be. This is why people never ask how young you are, rather, they ask how old you are. In reality, they are asking, how much wisdom have you garnered? This is in line with Job 12:12, which says, "With the ancient is wisdom; and in length of days understanding."

In Yorubaland, when people do not act their age, they are called Agba iya, meaning 'old for nothing'. When people are unserious with their lives, even though they are advancing in age, they are called agba iya. May you not be old for nothing, in Jesus' name.

Proverbs 22:15 says that there is foolishness locked in the heart of a child. Therefore, everybody starts out being foolish. This is an interesting fact about life; the child of a servant and that of a president will both start the journey of life alike as newborns. However, their choices in life will determine how they will end.

For the first 18 years of my life, I walked around barefooted. Today, by God's grace, I can wear a different pair of shoes every day for a whole year if I choose to. This is because I have walked with the ancient of days, and His Holy Spirit has continually given me wisdom that I have applied to make my life better. Regardless of your age, you can walk in wisdom if you yield yourself to the instructions of the Holy Spirit; He is the source of all knowledge and wisdom (Colossians 2:1-3).

When I was younger, I had an older brother who was tall and strong. One day, he erred, and my father beat him such that he cried like a baby. When I saw my 'strong' brother crying, I determined never to do anything that would make my father beat me. If you are wise, you will not make some mistakes in life; you will recognise danger and avoid it as much as possible.

If you know the consequences of an action and still take that action, you are an agba iya. Committing sin and refusing to repent leads to eternal separation from God. If you are wise, you will choose to be holy because that is the only way to see God (Hebrews 12:14).

Beloved, if you haven't been wise with your decisions so far in life, it is time to yield to the Holy Spirit and surrender to His leading. 

 REFLECTION:

Are you growing in wisdom with the help of the Holy Spirit? 

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: GENESIS 26-28

AUTHOR PASTOR E A ADEBOYE 

HYMNAL: 30 - WHEN WE WALK WITH THE LORD 

1 When we walk with the Lord

in the light of his word,

what a glory he sheds on our way!

While we do his good will,

he abides with us still,

and with all who will trust and obey.

Refrain:

Trust and obey, for there's no other way

to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.

2 Not a burden we bear,

not a sorrow we share,

but our toil he doth richly repay;

not a grief or a loss,

not a frown or a cross,

but is blest if we trust and obey. 

3 But we never can prove

the delights of his love

until all on the altar we lay;

for the favor he shows,

for the joy he bestows,

are for them who will trust and obey. 

4 Then in fellowship sweet

we will sit at his feet,

or we'll walk by his side in the way;

what he says we will do,

where he sends we will go;

never fear, only trust and obey.

Open Heavens Prayer Points

PRAYER POINTS ON TODAY'S OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL

Tuesday, 7th January 2025

WHEN GOD PROMOTES

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.Father, I worship You for You are the lifter of my head. Your word says, Promotion comes not from the East or the West, but from You alone.

2.Father, thank You for promoting me to a position of influence in Your kingdom and in Your service.

3.Father, please, help me to be sober in my call to serve You so I can faithfully account for all You have committed into my hands, in Jesus' name.

4.Father, please, help me so much that I would be found worthy and accountable for the people You are placing me over as a leader, in Jesus' name.

5.Father, please, help me to remain focused on the work You have called me into rather than running after the prestige and benefits that come with the work and the liftings, in Jesus' name.

6.Father, please, help me and all that You have promoted in the kingdom assignment never to lose any of the people You have given us, in Jesus' name.

7.Father, please, help me to work faithfully, to fast more often and fervently pray more, in Jesus' name.

8.Father, please, help me to ‭remain Your witness, to live holy, just and without blemish. Help me to make working harder and sacrificing for You, my new lifestyle, in Jesus' name.

9.Father, please, help me to always see my promotion as an opportunity to work harder, in Jesus' name.

10.‭Father, ‭please, help me to rely on You alone, and to let go of everything so my faith may be built up, in Jesus' name 

11.Father, please, raise me up and let there be no limit to my rising and to how far You want to promote me, in Jesus' name.

12.Father, thank You for helping Your son, Pastor Enoch Adejare Adeboye in all areas of life.

Thank You for Your call on his life and for promoting him this far; bless his ministry, home, and family (biological and spiritual), and help them to remain a shining light forever, in Jesus' name.

13.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.

14.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.

15.Your Personal petitions.

( Philippians 4:6)

16..In Jesus' name I pray.

(John 14:13-14; 15:16)

17.Thank You Father for answered prayers.

(1 Thessalonians 5:18).

#happy2025

#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 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: TUESDAY JANUARY 7TH 2025

TOPIC: WHEN GOD PROMOTES

MEMORISE:

“This is a true saying, if a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work.” - (1 Timothy 3:1)

READ: 1 THESSALONIANS 2:1-10 (KJV)

1 For yourselves, brethren, know our entrance in unto you, that it was not in vain:

2 But even after that we had suffered before, and were shamefully entreated, as ye know, at Philippi, we were bold in our God to speak unto you the gospel of God with much contention.

3 For our exhortation was not of deceit, nor of uncleanness, nor in guile:

4 But as we were allowed of God to be put in trust with the gospel, even so we speak; not as pleasing men, but God, which trieth our hearts.

5 For neither at any time used we flattering words, as ye know, nor a cloke of covetousness; God is witness:

6 Nor of men sought we glory, neither of you, nor yet of others, when we might have been burdensome, as the apostles of Christ.

7 But we were gentle among you, even as a nurse cherisheth her children:

8 So being affectionately desirous of you, we were willing to have imparted unto you, not the gospel of God only, but also our own souls, because ye were dear unto us.

9 For ye remember, brethren, our labour and travail: for labouring night and day, because we would not be chargeable unto any of you, we preached unto you the gospel of God.

10 Ye are witnesses, and God also, how holily and justly and unblameably we behaved ourselves among you that believe:

MESSAGE:

When I see Christians celebrating because they have been promoted to higher positions of influence in God's kingdom, I wonder if they really know what serving God is about. When someone is promoted from leading 10 people to leading 100 people in God's kingdom, such a fellow should be sober. This is because the demons that will be posted to bring him or her down will not only increase in number but also in rank. Also, he or she will become accountable to God for more people. It is tough enough to be accountable for one person, let alone multiple people.

When Joshua was promoted to become the national leader of Israel, God had to tell him multiple times to be courageous. Why then do people celebrate when they are given greater assignments in the kingdom? Could it be because their focus is not on the work but on the prestige and benefits that come with the new office?

If God puts you in charge of the souls of men, you must recognise that at the end of your life here on earth, you will give account to God for every soul that He put in your care. In John 17:12, Jesus said:

While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name: those that thou gavest me I have kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition; that the scripture might be fulfilled.

If Jesus could give an account of the people in His care while He was on the earth, how much more His disciples? This is why James 3:1 says that the judgement for those who are leaders in His kingdom will be greater than that of others. Therefore, the more people you are teaching the word of God and discipling, the more people you will have to account for. This invariably means that when God promotes you, you have to work, fast, and pray more.

When I was pastoring just a few people within one state in Nigeria, I used to sleep all night. During this period, one day, I saw my Father-in-the-Lord praying all night, and I was worried. In the morning, I asked him if all was well. He laughed and told me that I would understand later. Now, I understand because all-night prayers have also become my lifestyle.

When you serve God, He will promote you, however, you must take the promotion as an opportunity to work harder. 

 KEY POINT:

The meaning of promotion in God's kingdom is more work and sacrifices. 

AUTHOR PASTOR E A ADEBOYE 

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:  GENESIS 24-25

HYMN: 4 - TO THE WORK! TO THE WORK! WE ARE SERVANTS OF GOD 

1 To the work! to the work! we are servants of God,

Let us follow the path that our Master has trod;

With the balm of His counsel our strength to renew,

Let us do with our might what our hands find to do.

Refrain:

Toiling on, toiling on,

Toiling on, toiling on:

Let us hope, let us watch,

And labor till the Master comes.

2 To the work! to the work! let the hungry be fed;

To the fountain of life let the weary be led;

In the cross and its banner our glory shall be,

While we herald the tidings, "Salvation is free!" 

3 To the work! to the work! there is labor for all;

For the kingdom of darkness and error shall fall;

And the name of Jehovah exalted shall be,

In the loud-swelling chorus, "Salvation is free!" 

4 To the work! to the work! in the strength of the Lord,

And a robe and a crown shall our labor reward;

When the home of the faithful our dwelling shall be,

And we shout with the ransomed, "Salvation is free!"