OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL - WEDNESDAY - 30/10/2013 - THE WISE CHAMPION BY PASTOR E.A. ADEBOYE

THE WISE CHAMPION

MEMORY VERSE
Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil.
Proverbs 3:7

READ
Proverbs 3:5-7

Proverbs 3:5 Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.

Proverbs 3:6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.

Proverbs 3:7 Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the Lord, and depart from evil.

MESSAGE
A divine champion is the one made wise by God. Daniel 2:20-21 says it is God who gives wisdom to the wise. This means that every truly wise fellow is indebted to God who is the source of wisdom. No wonder Proverbs 3:5 says:

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

If you want to be wise, you must be ready to set aside what you know, what you have been taught and even what you have experienced in other to receive the wisdom from above. A divine champion recognises how frail he or she is; he also knows how limited in knowledge he is. One reason we fail to let God into our plans is because we believe we know what to do. If verse 7 of our reading is anything to go by, it is that whenever you come before God, you must put aside what you know so that you can receive what He knows. Even if you feel you have the best approach to solving a particular problem, still tell Him about the problem and about the method you know could be used in solving it. Thereafter, acknowledge His unlimited knowledge and wisdom, and humbly ask for the best approach to the issue on ground.

In John 6:37, Jesus says He does not cast out those who come to Him. James 1:5 says,


If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.

Everyone saved or unsaved has a measure of wisdom he or she was given by God. Today, some people think they are wise when they begin to create, invent or design things: No! It was given to you by God. It was given out of His general wisdom. God still has the special type of wisdom that is accessible only to His children. To receive such, you must be born-again, fear God and flee from sin; you must study God's word intensively because it contains unlimited wisdom that can help you in all areas of life. Thereafter, ask in faith for wisdom and you will be given. Without wisdom, you can never truly be a divine champion. Have you asked of wisdom from the Lord?

PRAYER POINT
Father, give me wisdom to excel and be above board in every area of my life

OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL - TUESDAY - 29/10/2013 - THE LOVING GOD BY PASTOR E.A. ADEBOYE

THE LOVING GOD

MEMORY VERSE
Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper whithersoever thou goest.
1 John 3:1

READ
1 John 3:1-2

1 John 3:1 Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.

1 John 3:2 Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.

MESSAGE
God is a friendly God who takes steps to cultivate our friendship. The problem is that not many of us who claim to be born-again have reciprocated His moves towards us in the area of friendship. In addition to friendship, He is a loving God. John 3:16 tells us that God made the ultimate sacrifice of His only begotten Son out of love. Romans 8:37 says it is His love that makes us more than conquerors and not because we have learnt the rudiments of prayer. Because He is a loving God, He knows your weaknesses and strengths and is willing to come down to your level to both help and keep you company. Sometime in 1981, I was ministering from 8 a.m. to 6 a.m. and I still had to go take the Digging Deep service (Bible study). When we finished, I was so tired that my body was vibrating and I could not stand. Meanwhile, there was a long queue of people waiting to see me. At that point I asked God: Do l have to pray for these people when you can see that I can barely even stand? Then He told me to sit down and asked me, Who asked you to stand? All they needed is for you to lay hands on them. Until then, I never thought one could sit down and pray as I believed it was disrespect to God.

Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.
1 John 3:1

The love of God has given us a change of name  from children of the devil into sons of God. His love also ensures you are not disappointed. One reason He has not fully brought the weight of our sins upon us is because of His love. God loves you. His love has made Him to ignore certain things you did wrong; you did not escape His judgment because you were smart. His love also ensures that you are disciplined so that you can achieve His purpose for your life. How are you responding to His love today?

PRAYER POINT
Father, thank You for your love. Help me to love You and my brethren like You love me.

OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL - SATURDAY - 26/10/2013 - DEAL WITH LITTLE SINS BY PASTOR E.A. ADEBOYE

DEAL WITH LITTLE SINS

MEMORY VERSE

Abstain from all appearance of evil.

1 Thessalonians 5:22

READ

1 Thessalonians 5:21-23

1 Thessalonians 5:21 Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.

1 Thessalonians 5:22 Abstain from all appearance of evil.

1 Thessalonians 5:23 And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

MESSAGE

If you must be victorious in the battle against Satan and his forces, you must let your separation from evil be total and absolute. Some people look at some things and say it is not too bad. If it is not too bad, then it contains some elements of evil no matter how little. When you tell a 'little' lie to get out of a fix or to cover up some wrong, you may think it is not too bad after all some patriarchs  Abraham and Isaac did the same. In fact, Jacob was worse. The truth is, any sin you indulge in without fully repenting and terminating it has a way of affecting your generations and it will enlarge as it goes further. This is why any vice you do not want to see in your future generations must be stopped in your life. Abraham lied but because he did not deal with it, the ability to lie was passed on to Isaac. He too lied and did nothing about it and by the time it got to Jacob, the ability to lie had multiplied to the extent that deception and fraud started operating in him right from the womb. He was a twin with Esau and tried to subvert him in their mother's womb. But when he could not, he grabbed his legs by the time they were coming out so that he could say they came out at the same time. Since his grandfather and father refused to deal with lies, he became lie personified!

What is the vice you are still harbouring today? No matter how small, deal with it! You cannot be victorious if sin still reserves space in you. Some situations may appear not so tempting, but do not turn them into tempting ones. A brother may be friendly with a lady at the place of work. It may be a purely official relationship and they may face no apparent temptation. But by the time he begins to touch her or she begins to touch him while they exchange banters, they are now changing the mood of the relationship. If such 'plays' does not stop, the innocent touch may gravitate into a more sensitive touch and before long, lust fills the heart and sin is born. Avoid every evil appearance!

ACTION POINT

The weakness you are able to conquer today will most likely be conquered by your generations. Start a good chain today!

OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL - WEDNESDAY - 23/10/2013 - A DIVINE CHAMPION BY PASTOR E.A. ADEBOYE

A DIVINE CHAMPION

MEMORY VERSE
 He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, and lifteth up the beggar from the dunghill, to set them among princes, and to make them inherit the throne of glory: for the pillars of the earth are the LORD'S, and he hath set the world upon them.
1 Samuel 2:8

READ
1 Samuel 2:8-10

1 Samuel 2:8 He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, and lifteth up the beggar from the dunghill, to set them among princes, and to make them inherit the throne of glory: for the pillars of the earth are the Lord's, and he hath set the world upon them.

1 Samuel 2:9 He will keep the feet of his saints, and the wicked shall be silent in darkness; for by strength shall no man prevail.

1 Samuel 2:10 The adversaries of the Lord shall be broken to pieces; out of heaven shall he thunder upon them: the Lord shall judge the ends of the earth; and he shall give strength unto his king, and exalt the horn of his anointed.

MESSAGE
After a contest, a winner emerges. Who is a champion? He is the winner of the contest, a victor, an overcomer. A champion is also the one who remains standing after the battle is over. When David fought Goliath, after the battle was over, Goliath laid down dead while David stood on top of him. The word divine on the other hand has to do with God, meaning it is God connected or related. Which God are we referring to? We are talking of the Most High God, the One who is higher than the highest, the Almighty, the God of all flesh with whom nothing is impossible (Psalm 91:1). He is the Lord of host, the God who has never lost a battle, the One who can bury His enemies alive (Psalm 24:7-10). People serve all kinds of gods including Satan, demons, men, animals, sports, food, etc. To have a connection with the God of gods, you can only access Him through Jesus Christ.

Who is a divine champion? He is a champion that is raised by God. 1 Samuel 2:8 says,

He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, and lifteth up the beggar from the dunghill, to set them among princes, and to make them inherit the throne of glory: for the pillars of the earth are the LORD'S, and he hath set the world upon them.

There is no helper or uplifter like God. A divine champion is the one who enjoys God's support and who is strengthened by God (Romans 8:31). When God laid hands on Elijah in 1 Kings 18:46, he outran the chariots of Ahab by foot. Can the one on foot overtake horses? Physically this may not happen, but with God at your back, it will happen almost effortlessly. In every race facing you, you will have to decide how to run it whether by your limited human strength or by God's unlimited strength. To be a champion, you will have to also decide whether you want to be an ordinary champion or a divine champion. The latter is preferable. God is raising His champion these last days, will you be one of them? It is your choice.

Prayer Point
Father, let me be among Your chosen divine champions for the last days

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OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL - TUESDAY - 22/10/2013 - COMMUNION HELPS YOU FLY BY PASTOR E.A. ADEBOYE

COMMUNION HELPS YOU FLY

MEMORY VERSE
He brought them forth also with silver and gold: and there was not one feeble person among their tribes.
Psalm 105:37

READ
Psalm 105:36-38

Psalm 105:36 He smote also all the firstborn in their land, the chief of all their strength.

Psalm 105:37 He brought them forth also with silver and gold: and there was not one feeble person among their tribes.

Psalm 105:38 Egypt was glad when they departed: for the fear of them fell upon them.

MESSAGE
Beside sickness, disease or poverty, another force that can hinder your flight is spiritual bondage. This happens when forces of darkness use demonic items and methods to hold a person down. In Mark 5:1-20, the mad man that was arrested by demons could not leave the tomb. Whatever power that is holding you from flying is broken now. Every contrary spirit that is operating in your life, I speak to you: your time is up! Pack your load and go now in Jesus name!

Do you know that the sicknesses and diseases holding down the Israelites disappeared after partaking of the uncommon meal? Psalm 105:37 says,

He brought them forth also with silver and gold: and there was not one feeble person among their tribes.

With just one meal, sickness was gone. A nation was completely healed. With just one meal poverty disappeared. As a result of that meal, the debts that several generations of their fathers were owed by the Egyptians, the current generation of Egyptians were compelled to pay it. They ate one meal and spiritual bondage became a thing of the past. Those who had refused to let them go all these years suddenly became too impatient for them to stay one minute extra.

You too can take the communion and it will make you totally free right away free from sickness and disease, poverty and spiritual bondage. However, after you have overcome the forces of bondage, you are expected to rise into the sky and fly. You do not fly on the ground. As long as you stay on the ground, you cannot fly. If you do, you will continue to bang your airplane against buildings, trees etc. Many people want to be uplifted but they are not ready to put in more effort. If you apply only the effort of those on the ground, you will walk or at best run like them. Come up today!

KEY POINT
The debt that your debtor could not pay can be recovered from his lineage by the power of the communion.

OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL - SUNDAY - 20/10/2013 - CREATIVE MIRACLE - 2 BY PASTOR E.A. ADEBOYE

CREATIVE MIRACLE - 2

MEMORY VERSE
For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.
Philippians 2:13

READ
John 11:39-44

John 11:39 Jesus said, Take ye away the stone. Martha, the sister of him that was dead, saith unto him, Lord, by this time he stinketh: for he hath been dead four days.

John 11:40 Jesus saith unto her, Said I not unto thee, that, if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God?

John 11:41 Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead was laid. And Jesus lifted up his eyes, and said, Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me.

John 11:42 And I knew that thou hearest me always: but because of the people which stand by I said it, that they may believe that thou hast sent me.

John 11:43 And when he thus had spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth.

John 11:44 And he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with grave clothes: and his face was bound about with a napkin. Jesus saith unto them, Loose him, and let him go.

MESSAGE
The God that we serve exists from eternity to eternity. He created the universe and the creatures in them and apportioned time for them. However this God does not exist in space and time. Whatever He had done before, He can do again as many times as He needs to. Hebrews 13:8 says,

Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.

He heals instantly and He heals progressively, some healings are repairs and for those body parts that are beyond repairs, He replaces. According to your needs for healing, the Lord will visit you today! In John 9:1-7, the Lord gave the man who was born blind brand new eyes. That is a creative miracle! In Genesis 18:9-14, when Sarah's womb was dead, He gave her a brand new womb. Take the example of the raising of the dead like that of Lazarus recorded in John 11:39-44. The truth is, for a dead man, everything in his body is dead and meant to decompose. So when Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, it was more than just bringing him back to life. He had to perform a lot of creative miracles in him – in his flesh that had decayed, in his blood that had turned black, in his brain that had melted. He recreated every part of him.

A young child developed a growth in the brain and she was taken to India for a brain surgery. But after the surgery, the child could not walk again. Her mother brought her to the camp during one of our programmes, and the Lord said somebody was getting a brand new brain. The Lord gave the girl a new brain. A lady who had many fibroids had her womb removed in the process of treatment. Later, she came for me to pray on the anointing oil she brought so that the Lord will give her another womb. She continued to rub her stomach with this, and God gave her a new womb and she had her baby. In the name of Jesus, receive your creative miracle now. That part of your body that is dead, I command it to be replaced. Every missing cell organ that is needed for you to live well is restored now in Jesus name.

PRAYER POINT
Father, in my body, family, ministry, academics and finances, give me a creative miracle. Create whatever is missing that I need.

OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL - SATURDAY - 19/10/2013 - IS HIS NAME REVERED? BY PASTOR E.A. ADEBOYE

IS HIS NAME REVERED?

MEMORY VERSE
He sent redemption unto his people: he hath commanded his covenant for ever: holy and reverend is his name.
Psalm 111:9

READ
Psalm 111:9-10

Psalm 111:9 He sent redemption unto his people: he hath commanded his covenant for ever: holy and reverend is his name.

Psalm 111:10 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all they that do his commandments: his praise endurethfor ever.

MESSAGE
When in danger or in an emergency, who do you call?

Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the LORD our God.
Psalm 20:7

The Psalmist here says some may call on chariots and some may call on horses but he will call on the Lord. If you must be victorious in life's battles, you must call on the name of Jesus purposely, deliberately, in faith and with lots of expectations. Some people use the name of Jesus without honouring Him; no wonder the name hardly works for them. If they miss a step, they shout Jesus! If the tea burns their tongue, they shout Jesus! If someone touches them from behind, they shout Jesus! The name has become an exclamation mark. Before they speak for three minutes, they will call the name several times devoid of honour. If you want that name to work for you, you must learn to call it with purpose, respect, honour and humility.

One of the things God frowns at is using His name in vain. Exodus 20:7says,

Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.

Ordinarily, you do not call the name of your father or mother anyhow. When you call their name, you do it with some sense of respect and honour. If you do so to mortals, how much more should you treat God's name with reverence? Psalm 111:9 says,

He sent redemption unto his people: he hath commanded his covenant for ever: holy and reverend is his name.

God's name must be highly revered above all others because Philippians 2:9-11 says it has been exalted above every other name. Do you know that the way you call the name of Jesus indicates whether you have the fear of God or not? A wise person will call the name of Jesus with lots of fear and worship. If you call Him like you are calling a servant, if He answers at all, it will be out of mercy. Many of us cannot call God's servants the way we call God. What an irony! Repent, and adjust today. Begin to attach honour, fear and reverence to His name.

KEY POINT
When it comes to reverencing God and what He stands for, we can learn from the devotion of idol worshippers

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR
Exodus 11-13