Monthly Archives: September 2017

OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL: SUDAY, OCTOBER 1ST 2017- THE MERCY & GRACE OF GOD

Memorise: Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need. Hebrews 4:16
Read: 2nd Corinthians 6:1-10
1 We then, as workers together with him, beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain.
2 (For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.)
3 Giving no offence in anything, that the ministry be not blamed:
4 But in all things approving ourselves as the ministers of God, in much patience, in afflictions, in necessities, in distresses,
5 In stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labours, in watchings, in fastings;
6 By pureness, by knowledge, by long suffering, by kindness, by the Holy Ghost, by love unfeigned,
7 By the word of truth, by the power of God, by the armour of righteousness on the right hand and on the left,
8 By honour and dishonour, by evil report and good report: as deceivers, and yet true;
9 As unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and, behold, we live; as chastened, and not killed;
10 As sorrowful, yet alway rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things.
Bible in one year: Romans 4-6, Daniel 2:1-16

AS REVEALED BY PASTOR E.A ADEBOYE IN TODAY’S DEVOTIONAL

1. Over the years, I have observed that the more powerful some people become, the more wicked they turn out to be. When they are not yet in a position of authority, they will appear humble, but once they have a little taste of power, they act as if they are God. This is what makes my Father very different: He is a merciful God. In spite of all His power and majesty, He remains merciful.
2. Having experienced God’s mercy, David thus wrote in Psalm 40:1-2: “I waited patiently for the LORD; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry. He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings.”
3. God is so full of mercy, and there is no one who cannot benefit from His mercy.
4. When powerful people know that no one can query them, they do whatever they like. God is however different! Even though He is the Almighty God and He is all powerful, yet His mercy endures forever.
5. Every time you call upon Him, you can be sure His grace will speak for you. Ephesians 2:4 says “But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,”
6. God’s grace grants us access to the things we don’t deserve. There are many of us who are what we are only by His grace.
7. If not for His grace, some of us would not be alive today, if not for His grace; some of us would have no roof over our heads. If not for His grace, how would some of us have anyone willing to help us? There are many opportunities we have misused in the past, and yet we have not lived to regret this because of His grace. If not for His mercy, some of us wouldn’t have recovered from the consequences of our past life.
8. Can you imagine a person like Saul, who persecuted the Church of God, becoming a mighty apostle of the gospel? If I were God, I would not have saved his soul, especially when I think of the extent of the damage he single-handedly caused the Body of Christ. I then suddenly realised that I also was once in sin like him.
9. When grace and mercy are at work in a person’s life, he will begin to make his boast in the Lord.
10. Can you imagine Paul saying he had wronged no one (2nd Corinthians 7:2)? He could say this because the grace and mercy of God had washed away all his past misdeeds.
11. When mercy is at work, every sinner has a future, and when grace is speaking, every saint has no past.
12. God is telling you today that He can have mercy on you. All you need to do is to make up your mind that all the days of your life, you will continue to fear Him and walk in His ways.

 

SHORT REFLECTION BY THE LIGHT POINTERS

The mercy of God can wipe out every unpleasant event. It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness. The Lord is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him. Lamentations 3:22‭-‬24 The mercy of the Lord does not have expiry date and it is not by works or our good deeds. We are blessed to have access to such mercy and grace. O give thanks unto the God of heaven: for his mercy endureth for ever. Psalms 136:26 God bless Pastor E.A Adeboye in Jesus name.

Prayer Point
Father, let Your mercy and grace never depart from my life.
HYMN
Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father;
There is no shadow of turning with Thee;
Thou changest not, Thy compassions, they fail not;
As Thou hast been, Thou forever will be.
[Chorus]
Great is Thy faithfulness!
Great is Thy faithfulness!
Morning by morning new mercies I see.
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided;
Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!
Summer and winter and springtime and harvest,
Sun, moon and stars in their courses above
Join with all nature in manifold witness
To Thy great faithfulness, mercy and love.
[Chorus]
Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth
Thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide;
Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow,
Blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside!
[Chorus]

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OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL: SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 30TH 2017- DON’T BE THE GUINEA PIG!

Memorise: Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted. 1 Corinthians 10:6
Read: 1 Corinthians 10:1-12
1 Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea;
2 And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea;
3 And did all eat the same spiritual meat;
4 And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.
5 But with many of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness.
6 Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted.
7 Neither be ye idolaters, as were some of them; as it is written, The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.
8 Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed, and fell in one day three and twenty thousand.
9 Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents.
10 Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer.
11 Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.
12 Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.
Bible in One Year: Romans 1-3, Daniel 1

AS REVEALED BY PASTOR E.A ADEBOYE IN TODAY’S DEVOTIONAL

1. As we run the race that is set before us on the straight and narrow way to Heaven, it is possible to slip and fall. You should however note that falling or making mistakes along the way does not signify that an end has come to your life, ministry or destiny.
2. There is no depth you can sink to that the mercy of God cannot draw you out of.
3.If you genuinely ask God for forgiveness and mercy, His grace will surely lift you up.
4. If you are still down in sin, it is time to come up into righteousness.
5. Are you in a situation where it appears all hope of you ever rising again is lost? No matter where you are, receive God’s touch of mercy at this very moment and come up again in Jesus’ Name!
6. There are ways to handle mistakes.
7. One way is to learn from the mistakes of others so that you do not become the guinea pig. A Nigerian proverb says, “The one who falls into a pit is a lesson to others following from behind.” You can scream after seeing that fellow fall into the pit, but make sure you don’t end up in it yourself.
8. Today’s reading tells us that the children of Israel who disobeyed God and were overthrown in the wilderness are lessons to us who are now on our way to the Promise Land of Heaven. It says we should not lust after evil things, because the Israelites did so and became causalities in the wilderness. It also says the reason why we should not serve other gods and commit fornication is that 23,000 of those Israelites who did the same perished in one day. It further says we should not tempt Christ like the Israelites did and died of snake bites. It even warns us of the dangers of murmuring, which some of us do very often. The Israelites murmured and were destroyed.
9. When you see the pit your predecessors have fallen into, a wise follower will tread a lot more carefully to avoid ending up where they ended.
10. If you learn from the mistakes of others, you will not fall where they fall, and you will not perish where they perished; but if you fail to learn, you too will soon become a signpost that tells other not to follow the path you followed.
11. How ironic it is for someone who was aware of the pitfalls that consumed others to end up in the same pit. This is what happens to those who never take warnings seriously.
12. Are you like that? Do you say “it doesn’t matter “Yes, it does!

SHORT REFLECTION BY THE LIGHT POINTERS

Anyone who allows Christ to truly be his Lord and Saviour will never walk in darkness. With total submission to His will our light can only shine bright and even brighter unto a perfect day. Every step such person takes is ordered by God and so sin can never take over such life. May we function in the grace to live above sin made available to us through Christ in Jesus name. We are daily refreshed as we study the Open Heavens devotional and we pray that God will always empower Pastor E.A Adeboye for greater works in Jesus name.

Prayer Point
Father, let me never be a guinea pig. Make me an excellent example for others to follow.
HYMN
On a hill far away stood an old rugged cross,
the emblem of suffering and shame;
and I love that old cross where the dearest and best
for a world of lost sinners was slain.
Refrain:
So I’ll cherish the old rugged cross,
till my trophies at last I lay down;
I will cling to the old rugged cross,
and exchange it some day for a crown.
O that old rugged cross, so despised by the world,
has a wondrous attraction for me;
for the dear Lamb of God left his glory above
to bear it to dark Calvary. Refrain
In that old rugged cross, stained with blood so divine,
a wondrous beauty I see,
for ’twas on that old cross Jesus suffered and died,
to pardon and sanctify me. Refrain
To the old rugged cross I will ever be true;
its shame and reproach gladly bear;
then he’ll call me some day to my home far away,
where his glory forever I’ll share. Refrain
 
 

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OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL: FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 29TH 2017- DELAYED PROVISION

Memorise: The eyes of all wait upon thee; and thou givest them their meat in due season. Psalm 145:15
Read: Daniel 10:7-13
7 And I Daniel alone saw the vision: for the men that were with me saw not the vision; but a great quaking fell upon them, so that they fled to hide themselves.
8 Therefore I was left alone, and saw this great vision, and there remained no strength in me: for my comeliness was turned in me into corruption, and I retained no strength.
9 Yet heard I the voice of his words: and when I heard the voice of his words, then was I in a deep sleep on my face, and my face toward the ground.
10 And, behold, an hand touched me, which set me upon my knees and upon the palms of my hands.
11 And he said unto me, O Daniel, a man greatly beloved, understand the words that I speak unto thee, and stand upright: for unto thee am I now sent. And when he had spoken this word unto me, I stood trembling.
12 Then said he unto me, Fear not, Daniel: for from the first day that thou didst set thine heart to understand, and to chasten thyself before thy God, thy words were heard, and I am come for thy words.
13 But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me one and twenty days: but, lo, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me; and I remained there with the kings of Persia.
Bible in one year: Esther 8:10, Ezekiel 48:21-35

AS REVEALED BY PASTOR E.A ADEBOYE IN TODAY’S DEVOTIONAL

1. More often than not, when a man receives provision before he or she has need for it, wastage occurs. Such a fellow will entertain expenditures that are focused more on unnecessary wants rather than on needs. This is why such an individual needs wisdom, guidance and lots of self-denial or self-control. May you not waste your provisions in Jesus’ Name!
2. However, provision could also come at the time of need. This type of arrangement is preferred by some people because it eradicates the likelihood of waste.
3. According to Psalm 46:5, when God is your refuge, He will always show up at the right time. He is never late! I pray that whatever assistance you need will locate you as soon as the need arises in Jesus’ Name.
4. In quite a number of situations, provision comes much after the day of need. This is totally unacceptable because the purpose for which the provision is needed is already defeated.
5. Provision long after need is almost as bad as total denial.
6. When help, assistance or provision is not available in the time of need, it will result in disappointment, feelings of rejection, shame and disgrace, painful loss or even death.
7. Do you know that many people who died in some ghastly accidents could have survived if only they received help at the time of the incident? There are some who survived for a few hours but later gave up the ghost because they did not receive medical attention at the hour of need.
8. John 10:10 talks of Satan’s evil mission to steal, kill and destroy. One way he does this is by delaying provision or help from reaching people in need.
9. In today’s Bible reading, following this petition to Heaven during a fast, an answer was sent to Daniel, but it was delayed by the Prince of Persia for 21 days. Daniel should have received the answer on the first day, but it was delayed for that whole period.
10. Every forces of delay, sent to set back your provision or help beyond the time of need, shall be frustrated, disgraced and paralysed in Jesus’ Name!
11. Whatever was programmed to reach you late shall arrive on time; you shall not be disappointed! That yoke of delay over your expectations is destroyed now!
12. The Lord will sort you out speedily in Jesus’ Name!

 

SHORT REFLECTION BY THE LIGHT POINTERS

There are lessons in today’s bible reading that believers must be aware of and diligently work upon. We should be aware of the forces of darkness that could be a source of delay to prayers. Hence, consistency in prayers until result is achieved is paramount. It’s also amazing that even angels sent by God to deliver blessings could be hindered but it’s a reality from what we read in Daniel chapter 10. May we never be victim of demonic embargo on our provisions in Jesus’ name. God bless Pastor E.A Adeboye in Jesus name.

Key Point
One challenge of the rich is that because they have enough to meet their needs, even for the next 10, 20 or more years, their confidence is usually in their money and not in God.
HYMN
1 Through the love of God our Saviour,
all will be well.
Free and changeless is his favour,
all, all is well.
Precious is the blood that healed us,
perfect is the grace that sealed us,
strong the hand stretched forth to shield us,
all must be well.
2 Though we pass through tribulation,
all will be well.
Ours is such a full salvation,
all, all is well.
Happy, still in God confiding,
fruitful, if in Christ abiding,
holy, through the Spirit’s guiding,
all must be well.
3 We expect a bright tomorrow,
all will be well.
Faith can sing through days of sorrow,
‘All, all is well.’
On our Father’s love relying,
Jesus every need supplying,
in our living, in our dying,
all must be well.

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OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL: THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 28TH 2017- HEED THIS INVITATION

Memorise: In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, if any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. John 7:37
Read: John 7:37-39
37 In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink.
38 He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.
39 (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)
Bible in one year: Esther 4-7, Ezekiel 48:8-20

AS REVEALED BY PASTOR E.A ADEBOYE IN TODAY’S DEVOTIONAL

1. “How should one chase a thousand, and two put ten thousand to flight, except their Rock had sold them, and the LORD had shut them up?” Deuteronomy 32:30
2. Although praying corporately is good, it should never be regarded as a substitute to a vibrant personal prayer life.
3. Some people quote the above scripture to justify remaining at the level of corporate prayers, and as a result they consider efforts towards personal prayers to be a waste. It is not a wasted effort! God wants to relate with us individually and develop a personal relationship with us, just as much as He wants to relate with us as a group. For this reason, in Isaiah 51:2, He said this to us: for “Look unto Abraham your father, and unto Sarah that bare you: for I called him alone, and blessed him, and increased him.”
4. Even when we are in a group meeting, God still wants to maintain a personal link with each of us.
5. God is a personal God. When two brothers came to give an offering to God, the Lord related with them individually (Genesis 4:3-10). How often do you spend time alone with God?
6. Moreover, there are great benefits that come from staying alone with God.
7. If we look at the example of the widow of the prophet in 2nd Kings 4:1-7, we can see some of the benefits of individual prayers. When she was asked to shut the door on herself, several things happened to her, one of which is that she went in empty but came out full. She took several empty vessels with her into the room, and all the vessels were filled up. Even today, as you personally separate yourself to access the Throne of Grace, your empty vessels will be made full.
8. In today’s Bible reading, while attending the feast of the Jews, the Lord made a call. Although it was made publicly, it was a personal call. He said anyone who was thirsty could come to Him and be filled.
9. If you can cultivate your personal relationship with God by creating regular time to be in His presence, you will always be filled, even when you enter His presence empty.
10. Today, the Lord is sending you an invitation to come into His presence and He will fill you up.
11. Your emptiness can be completely swallowed up as you spend personal time with Him.
12. Are you ready to have your emptiness filled? How hungry are you? It is your level of hunger and thirst for Him that will determine how filled you will get, So, how hungry or thirsty are you today?

SHORT REFLECTION BY THE LIGHT POINTERS

Can we heed to His invitation to enjoy and continue to enjoy the presence of the Almighty God? “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.”Revelation‬ ‭3:20‬. This invitation is consistent and available to everyone.. Also, like stated by our Pastor E A ADEBOYE, corporate prayer is not the best for a violent Christian. “And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force.” ‭‭Matthew‬ ‭11:12‬. God be praised forever more for Pastor E.A Adeboye. May he wax stronger in Jesus name.

Action Point
Identify things that are working against your ability to spend time alone with God and prayerfully deal with them.
HYMN
1 Take my life and let it be
consecrated, Lord, to thee.
Take my moments and my days;
let them flow in endless praise,
let them flow in endless praise.
2 Take my hands and let them move
at the impulse of thy love.
Take my feet and let them be
swift and beautiful for thee,
swift and beautiful for thee.
3 Take my voice and let me sing
always, only, for my King.
Take my lips and let them be
filled with messages from thee,
filled with messages from thee.
4 Take my silver and my gold;
not a mite would I withhold.
Take my intellect and use
every power as thou shalt choose,
every power as thou shalt choose.
5 Take my will and make it thine;
it shall be no longer mine.
Take my heart it is thine own;
it shall be thy royal throne,
it shall be thy royal throne.
6 Take my love; my Lord, I pour
at thy feet its treasure store.
Take myself, and I will be
ever, only, all for thee,
ever, only, all for thee. 

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OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL: WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 27TH 2017- PRINCIPLES, NOT TEARS

Memorise: Forever, O LORD, thy word is settled in heaven. Psalm 119:89
Read: Genesis 13:14-18
14 And the Lord said unto Abram, after that Lot was separated from him, Lift up now thine eyes, and look from the place where thou art northward, and southward, and eastward, and westward:
15 For all the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed for ever.
16 And I will make thy seed as the dust of the earth: so that if a man can number the dust of the earth, then shall thy seed also be numbered.
17 Arise, walk through the land in the length of it and in the breadth of it; for I will give it unto thee.
18 Then Abram removed his tent, and came and dwelt in the plain of Mamre, which is in Hebron, and built there an altar unto the Lord.
Bible in one year: Esther 1-3, Ezekiel 47:13-48:7

AS REVEALED BY PASTOR E.A ADEBOYE IN TODAY’S DEVOTIONAL

1. If your giving reflects a financial status below the level God has placed you on, this would amount to demoting yourself.
2. A wise fellow would rather promote himself or herself by giving beyond the level of his or her current financial status, so that God will upgrade him or her to that level.
3. Some people look at me with envy, thinking that God is partial. No, He is not!
4. God is not a respecter of persons, but He is a respecter of principles. 
5. When Peter realised this truth in Acts 10:34-35, He said: “Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons: But in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him.”
6. When you simply do what I do and follow the Bible principles that I follow, you will get the results that I get. I am not boasting, but if you think it is boasting, then I am simply boasting in the Lord.
7. My God is not a God that is ruled by emotions. He is not moved by your tears or by you rolling on the ground.
8. If there is something He expects you to do in accordance with His word, but you leave it and begin to cry your eyes out or roll on the ground for days and weeks, at the end of the day, He will still be waiting for you to do what He expected of you before He fulfils His promise to you. So the earlier you obey God, the sooner His intervention will come.
9. Some people think they can manipulate God with their tricks. No they can’t. God would rather wait for you to obey, even if it takes years, before releasing a desired blessing. Unfortunately, some people out of stubbornness are making God wait almost their entire life time! “Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will shew thee:” Genesis 12:1
10. When God called Abraham and gave him some promises, He also gave him three conditions he had to meet to access those promises. Abraham met two of these conditions, but he considered one of them not to be as important. He took Lot, his kindred, along with him. Probably he believed that his family would consider him a wicked fellow if he left his late brother’s son behind. For as long as he did not fulfil the condition of leaving his entire kindred, God also refused to fulfil His promises. This continued until Abraham began to feel the consequences of not separating from his relatives as instructed by God. It was after he obeyed and separated from Lot that God resumed discussions with him concerning His promises. Abraham lost 13 years to disobedience! Don’t be so wise in your own sight.
11. Obey God today!

SHORT REFLECTION BY THE LIGHT POINTERS

And Samuel said, Hath the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord ? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams. For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the Lord , he hath also rejected thee from being king. 1 Samuel 15:22‭-‬23 Rejection of the word of God or His instructions can lead to delay, denial or death. He clearly spells out what He requires of us as His own children and we should be careful enough to do all He desires for us to do to the last letter. And it shall come to pass, if thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of the Lord thy God, to observe and to do all his commandments which I command thee this day, that the Lord thy God will set thee on high above all nations of the earth: And all these blessings shall come on thee, and overtake thee, if thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the Lord thy God. Deuteronomy 28:1‭-‬2 God bless and increase Pastor E.A Adeboye on every side in Jesus name.

Key Point
Noise, acrobatics and tears do not move God: simple obedience does.
HYMN
On a hill far away stood an old rugged cross,
the emblem of suffering and shame;
and I love that old cross where the dearest and best
for a world of lost sinners was slain.
Refrain:
So I’ll cherish the old rugged cross,
till my trophies at last I lay down;
I will cling to the old rugged cross,
and exchange it some day for a crown.
O that old rugged cross, so despised by the world,
has a wondrous attraction for me;
for the dear Lamb of God left his glory above
to bear it to dark Calvary. Refrain
In that old rugged cross, stained with blood so divine,
a wondrous beauty I see,
for ’twas on that old cross Jesus suffered and died,
to pardon and sanctify me. Refrain
To the old rugged cross I will ever be true;
its shame and reproach gladly bear;
then he’ll call me some day to my home far away,
where his glory forever I’ll share. Refrain

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OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL: TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 26TH 2017- BECAUSE HE IS BIG

Memorise: For he that is mighty hath done to me great things; and holy is his name. Luke 1:49
Read: Luke 1:46-52
46 And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord,
47 And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.
48 For he hath regarded the low estate of his handmaiden: for, behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed.
49 For he that is mighty hath done to me great things; and holy is his name.
50 And his mercy is on them that fear him from generation to generation.
51 He hath shewed strength with his arm; he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.
52 He hath put down the mighty from their seats, and exalted them of low degree.
Bible in one year: Nehemiah 12-13, Ezekiel 47:1-12

AS REVEALED BY PASTOR E.A ADEBOYE IN TODAY’S DEVOTIONAL

1. Our God is a great and big God. In terms of size, He is so massive. Imagine that He sits on His throne in the third heavens and His feet still touches the earth (Isaiah 66:1).
2. Due to the fact that our God is so big, He does great and big things.
3. In Genesis 1:20-22, when He said the waters should bring forth living creatures, the oceans were soon filled with all manner of fish and sea creatures.
4. All He has to do is to say “Let there be”, and it will come to pass.
5. The Lord will do great and mighty things in your life this season in Jesus’ mighty Name!
6. Doing great and mighty things is His specialty.
7. No wonder in Jeremiah 33:3, He said: “Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.”
8. When He met a young, ordinary and unknown virgin and He picked her for His great purpose, she was overwhelmed and had this to say: “For he that is mighty hath done to me great things; and holy is his name.” Luke 1:49
9. In the mighty Name of Jesus, the Lord shall pick and use you for His great and mighty works to demonstrate his Almightiness!
10. In Genesis 1:28, God said “Be fruitful and multiply.” When He says “multiply”, He really means it.
11. During creation, when He spoke that command, it was just Adam and Eve, but today, the world has several billions of people in it.
12. Also, when Israel came into Egypt in Exodus 1:5, they were just 70 people; but by the time they were leaving, there were  600,000 men besides women, who would not have been less than 800,000, and children, who would have been at least 1,000,000 (Exodus 12:37). They kept multiplying in accordance of God’s word, in spite of all that the government of Egypt did to drastically reduce their numbers.
13. From today, no matter what the enemy does to stop your increase, God’s word on increase will continue to thrive in your life!
14. In addition to being a big God, He does big things. His purpose for your life is therefore big.
15. Are you small, little, unknown and a local champion? Because your God is big, you cannot remain small. His size will definitely affect and transform your size.
16. In the Name of Jesus Christ, you are breaking out of every barrier and limitation! You are coming out of every box of limitation that both you and others have enclosed you in! You shall be great, and you shall achieve great things for God’s Name, far beyond your dreams!

SHORT REFLECTION BY THE LIGHT POINTERS

What a powerful description of our father, our maker, our redeemer,the God that created the Heavens and the earth. With no element of doubt, we reaffirm the awesomeness and mightiness of our God. He’s bigger than every problem or challenge confronting humanity and able to turn tides around for the hopeless. Because your God is big, in this season expect big and mighty testimonies. We are grateful to God for blessing us with Pastor E.A Adeboye. May he increase in wisdom in Jesus name.

Key Point
God cannot be big and you remain small. Your vision should reflect the size of your God.
HYMN
O Lord my God, when I in awesome wonder
Consider all the worlds thy hands have made,
I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder,
Thy power throughout the universe displayed:
Chorus
Then sings my soul, my Savior God, to thee:
How great thou art! How great thou art!
Then sings my soul, my Savior God, to thee:
How great thou art! How great thou art!
When through the woods and forest glades I wander
And hear the birds sing sweetly in the trees,
When I look down from lofty mountain grandeur,
And hear the brook and feel the gentle breeze:
 
And when I think that God, his Son not sparing,
Sent him to die, I scarce can take it in,
That on the cross, my burden gladly bearing,
He bled and died to take away my sin.
 
When Christ shall come with shout of acclamation
And take me home, what joy shall fill my heart!
Then I shall bow in humble adoration,
And there proclaim, My God, how great thou art!

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OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL: MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 25TH 2017- NO SKIPPING DETAILS

Memorise: For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little: Isaiah 28:10
Read: 2nd Kings 4:1-7
1 Now there cried a certain woman of the wives of the sons of the prophets unto Elisha, saying, Thy servant my husband is dead; and thou knowest that thy servant did fear the Lord: and the creditor is come to take unto him my two sons to be bondmen.
2 And Elisha said unto her, What shall I do for thee? tell me, what hast thou in the house? And she said, Thine handmaid hath not any thing in the house, save a pot of oil.
3 Then he said, Go, borrow thee vessels abroad of all thy neighbours, even empty vessels; borrow not a few.
4 And when thou art come in, thou shalt shut the door upon thee and upon thy sons, and shalt pour out into all those vessels, and thou shalt set aside that which is full.
5 So she went from him, and shut the door upon her and upon her sons, who brought the vessels to her; and she poured out.
6 And it came to pass, when the vessels were full, that she said unto her son, Bring me yet a vessel. And he said unto her, There is not a vessel more. And the oil stayed.
7 Then she came and told the man of God. And he said, Go, sell the oil, and pay thy debt, and live thou and thy children of the rest.
Bible in one year: Nehemiah 10-11, Ezekiel 46:13-24

AS REVEALED BY PASTOR E.A ADEBOYE IN TODAY’S DEVOTIONAL

1. To avoid financial storms, you need to carefully note all the elements of a divine instruction.
2. God is a God of details.
3. When He gives you a recipe to solve a particular problem, He expects you to leave no details out.
4. In today’s Bible reading, to solve the serious debt problem of the widow of a late prophet, Elisha asked her to borrow vessels from all her neighbours, shut the door behind her and pour out her remaining pot of oil into all available vessels. If she had altered any element of this instruction, it would definitely have affected the result she got.
5. Some people receive certain divine instructions and thereafter determine which to obey and which to discard. No! All the details must be observed! Do you know that if the widow had borrowed the vessels but refused to shut her door, the oil would not have flowed?
6. Beloved, always pay close attention to whatever instructions you receive from God.
7. When it comes to sowing for instance, 2nd Corinthians 9:6-7 says, “But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully. Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.”
8. From the details of this scripture, it is not just sowing that will get you your expected returns, but rather, sowing bountifully and cheerfully.
9. Today, many people have chosen to forget these details on sowing, and this accounts for the financial storms in their lives.
10. On tithing, it is not enough to tithe, but to bring in all the tithes.
11. After completing my PhD research, I recalled I still had part of my research grant with the university. So I went to my Head of Department (HoD) asking to draw out of it to bind my thesis. He refused to release it to me, and when I insisted, he sent me out of his office. With no other funds available, I wondered how to get the money I needed. A little past midnight, someone came knocking on my door. He said he could not sleep, and so he came to return the money I had loaned him five years earlier. Although I had forgotten this money, God had not. He paid me the exact amount I needed. After binding the thesis, I was scared, wondering if my HoD would accept it and give me a good score. So on the following Sunday, I paid my tithe, and on Monday, when I submitted my thesis to him, he was impressed and offered to personally take it to the external examiner. He also waited on the examiner until he finished his job in three days instead of six months. After this, my PhD grant was paid, and it became useful pocket money for me. You cannot tell the extent God will go to satisfy those who are totally obedient.

SHORT REFLECTION BY THE LIGHT POINTERS

If there is anything we should consistently ask God to endow us with, it’s Grace for complete obedience. Often times the devil comes to manipulate the instructions of God and obstruct our blessing, victory and divine encounter with God. I pray that God will release unto us the Grace for complete obedience and the ability to be observant to His instructions in Jesus’ name. We pray that God will always empower Pastor E.A Adeboye in Jesus name.

Action Point
Ask God to lead our youths aright in the choice of life partners.
HYMN
1 Take my life and let it be
consecrated, Lord, to thee.
Take my moments and my days;
let them flow in endless praise,
let them flow in endless praise.
2 Take my hands and let them move
at the impulse of thy love.
Take my feet and let them be
swift and beautiful for thee,
swift and beautiful for thee.
3 Take my voice and let me sing
always, only, for my King.
Take my lips and let them be
filled with messages from thee,
filled with messages from thee.
4 Take my silver and my gold;
not a mite would I withhold.
Take my intellect and use
every power as thou shalt choose,
every power as thou shalt choose.
5 Take my will and make it thine;
it shall be no longer mine.
Take my heart it is thine own;
it shall be thy royal throne,
it shall be thy royal throne.
6 Take my love; my Lord, I pour
at thy feet its treasure store.
Take myself, and I will be
ever, only, all for thee,
ever, only, all for thee. 

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OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL: SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 24TH 2017- THE IMPORTANT FACTOR

Memorise: And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the pre-eminence . Colossians 1:18
Read: Matthew 6:31-34
31 Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?
32 (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.
33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
34 Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.
Bible in one year: Nehemiah 9, Ezekiel 46:1-12

AS REVEALED BY PASTOR E.A ADEBOYE IN TODAY’S DEVOTIONAL

1. First thing first, so the saying goes. As a believer in Christ, when you come before God’s presence, the most important person is not you but Him. Also, unlike most of us believe, at God’s Throne of Grace, the most important thing is not your requests, but rather the worship you offer to Him. If you fail to get this right, and you fail to adjust your approach and attitude to reflect this truth, you will always have issues with God.
2. Do you know that every time you approach God’s presence, it is like facing a test?
3. Believe it or not, when you come before God, there are two crucial people at that meeting: God and you. One of these two must take pre-eminence.
4. Similarly, God has a need and you also have a need; one of these two needs must be more important. “But seek ye first kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” Matthew 6:33
5. The scripture tells us about a divine order that must be followed. It also talks about God’s need and man’s need. It tells us that God has already provided for all of man’s needs. In other words, God already has all you would ever need at anytime in your life.
6. For you to receive them, all that He requires from you is to simply meet His needs. Give Him what He wants. Put Him first and your needs last.
7. Give Him quality thanks, praise and worship.
8. When you follow Heaven’s protocol, you will easily receive a favourable answer to your requests.
9. God expects you to come before His presence with thanksgiving, praise and worship, leaving your request as the last thing.
10. Do you know that one way to know how important something really is to you is to measure the amount of time you give to it?
11. When you pray for one hour and you use 50 minutes of the time presenting your requests, you are telling God that you and your request are more important than Him and His desires.
12. How do you think this makes God feel? In any case, He has already expressed His thoughts about this in 1st Samuel 2:30d, where He said: “For them that honour me I will honour, and they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed.”
13. Also, what you focus on becomes magnified. If you focus on your problems, they will be enlarged, but if you focus on God and on what He wants, He will be magnified to the extent that your problems will fade into insignificance. By the time you eventually remember them, you would discover that they have been swallowed up by His Almightiness, leaving you with the answer to your prayers.

SHORT REFLECTION BY THE LIGHT POINTERS

It’s important to always consider the factors that can obstruct us from receiving from the Almighty God. One of such as described by our father in the Lord is wrong approach and attitude in our worship. When a man enters the Goldsmith house, he’s going there for purpose of refining the raw gold and must therefore cooperate and abide with the rules and regulations to purifying the gold. Same with God, if you desire anything from Him, you must be careful about your approach. He deserves your thanksgiving first , the Bible say “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God;”‭‭Philippians‬ ‭4:6‬. We should note that our request must be accompanied with thanksgiving. May God help us. God bless Pastor E.A Adeboye in Jesus name.

Key Point
If you make God your priority, He will make you His priority.
HYMN
O Lord my God, when I in awesome wonder
Consider all the *worlds thy hands have made,
I see the stars, I hear the *rolling thunder,
Thy power throughout the universe displayed:
Chorus
Then sings my soul, my Savior God, to thee:
How great thou art! How great thou art!
Then sings my soul, my Savior God, to thee:
How great thou art! How great thou art!
When through the woods and forest glades I wander
And hear the birds sing sweetly in the trees,
When I look down from lofty mountain grandeur,
And hear the brook and feel the gentle breeze:
 
And when I think that God, his Son not sparing,
Sent him to die, I scarce can take it in,
That on the cross, my burden gladly bearing,
He bled and died to take away my sin.
 
When Christ shall come with shout of acclamation
And take me home, what joy shall fill my heart!
Then *I shall bow in humble adoration,
And there proclaim, My God, how great thou art!
 

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OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL: SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 23RD 2017- RESISTING GOD?

Memorise: Do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than he? 1st Corinthians 10:22
Read: 1st Corinthians 10:21-23
21 Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of devils: ye cannot be partakers of the Lord’s table, and of the table of devils.
22 Do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? are we stronger than he?
23 All things are lawful for me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but all things edify not.
Bible in one year: Nehemiah 7-8, Ezekiel 45:10-25

AS REVEALED BY PASTOR E.A ADEBOYE IN TODAY’S DEVOTIONAL

1. Colossians 1:16 tells us that all visible and invisible things were created by God and for God.
2. You were created to make God happy by following His will, plan and purpose for your life. However, when you take the path of self-government and go contrary to the purpose for which you were created, that is rebellion.
3. Lucifer and several angels decided to walk out of God’s original plan, and they became who we now refer to as Satan and demons (Isaiah 14:12-16, Revelation 12:7-9).
4. Anyone who follows self-government today will also end up where the devil and his demons are.
5. The truth is, if you fail God, you fail yourself. Therefore, pleasing God is the real path to true self-fulfilment, lasting peace and joy.
6. I tell you the truth, living on earth without conforming to God’s original blueprint for your life makes you waste that life.
7. Without God, life is not worth living. “No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.” 2nd Timothy 2:4
8. We are not here on earth by our power or design.
9. We were created and placed here to satisfy God’s eternal plan and purpose for our lives.
10. Even when Jesus was here, in all that He did, He did not try to please Himself but His father (John 8:29, John 5:30). Now that He has chosen us to be His soldiers, we cannot afford to please ourselves.
11. When He gives us an assignment, we must do it exactly as He wants it done, or risk going against Him.
12. In 1st Samuel 15, King Saul was given an assignment by God to go and utterly wipe out the Amalekites. He went out to fulfil it but made slight changes to the instructions. In the end, he failed God and failed himself. He lost his kingdom because he could not totally comply with God’s will. Today, for this same reason, many people are close to completely losing their place in God’s divine plan.
13. A king who resisted God had to go on a seven-year trip into insanity, and he lost his throne for that period (Daniel 4). Similarly, another king who said that God’s word should not be heard was eaten alive by worms (Acts 12:1-24). If these great kings could not resist or withstand God, do you think you can? If you are wise, you will totally submit to His will today.
14. God has a problem with the so-called obedience of a good number of His children. Although He is speaking to them, they are not listening to Him; rather they are more interested in hearing themselves. Hence, He has almost grounded them in all areas. Thinking it’s the devil at fault, such people are wrongly praying against agents of darkness. It is time to do nothing short of God’s total will in all your ways!

SHORT REFLECTION BY THE LIGHT POINTERS

Resisting God could be in different forms, not necessarily speaking against Him directly. Some will say ” I don’t see God, how do I resist Him? The truth is that most times through our disobedience to God’s instruction greatly affects fellowship with Him. “Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.” ‭‭James‬ ‭4:8‬. This bible verse simply explains one of the conditions to enjoying the presence of God. The consequence of disobedience to God’s will is death. Many atimes this death does not come in the physical at first but it later become evident in the life of the person that disobey. It is amazing yet appalling that believers goes against the instructions of God our Maker. God is the extra ordinary strategist. He knows the end from beginning. It is therefore very wise for us to follow His instructions to the last letter. Have you at one time left His presence or even resistance to the instructions of the Holyspirit? Repent and draw closer to Him, He will bless and restore your soul. The grace to obey God is granted us in Jesus name. Pastor E.A Adeboye is a great blessing to this generation through the open Heavens devotional. We pray that the Lord will fill with power and might for greater impact in Jesus name.

Prayer Point
Those who resist God are fighting a battle they can never win.
HYMN Key Point
Deeper, deeper in the love of Jesus
Daily let me go;
Higher, higher in the school of wisdom,
More of grace to know.
Refrain:
Oh, deeper yet, I pray,
And higher every day,
And wiser, blessed Lord,
In Thy precious, holy Word.
Deeper, deeper, blessed Holy Spirit,
Take me deeper still,
Till my life is wholly lost in Jesus,
And His perfect will.
Deeper, deeper! though it cost hard trials,
Deeper let me go!
Rooted in the holy love of Jesus,
Let me fruitful grow.
Deeper, higher, every day in Jesus,
Till all conflict past,
Finds me conqu’ror, and in His own image
Perfected at last.
Deeper, deeper in the faith of Jesus,
Holy faith and true;
In His pow’r and soul exulting wisdom
Let me peace pursue.
 

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OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL: FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 22ND 2017- WHEN YOU ARE BLESSED

Memorise: By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau concerning things to come. Hebrews 11:20
Read: Genesis 27:20-29
20 And Isaac said unto his son, How is it that thou hast found it so quickly, my son? And he said, Because the Lord thy God brought it to me.
21 And Isaac said unto Jacob, Come near, I pray thee, that I may feel thee, my son, whether thou be my very son Esau or not.
22 And Jacob went near unto Isaac his father; and he felt him, and said, The voice is Jacob’s voice, but the hands are the hands of Esau.
23 And he discerned him not, because his hands were hairy, as his brother Esau’s hands: so he blessed him.
24 And he said, Art thou my very son Esau? And he said, I am.
25 And he said, Bring it near to me, and I will eat of my son’s venison, that my soul may bless thee. And he brought it near to him, and he did eat: and he brought him wine and he drank.
26 And his father Isaac said unto him, Come near now, and kiss me, my son.
27 And he came near, and kissed him: and he smelled the smell of his raiment, and blessed him, and said, See, the smell of my son is as the smell of a field which the Lord hath blessed:
28 Therefore God give thee of the dew of heaven, and the fatness of the earth, and plenty of corn and wine:
29 Let people serve thee, and nations bow down to thee: be lord over thy brethren, and let thy mother’s sons bow down to thee: cursed be every one that curseth thee, and blessed be he that blesseth thee.
Bible in one year: Nehemiah 4-6, Ezekiel 44:28-45:9

AS REVEALED BY PASTOR E.A ADEBOYE IN TODAY’S DEVOTIONAL

1. A blessing is an invitation to all the forces in Heaven, on earth and underneath the earth to cooperate with an individual and assist him or her to succeed.
2. When Isaac pronounced a blessing on Jacob in today’s Bible reading, he summoned the dew of heaven, the land, and all the forces on earth to be of assistance to Jacob. As a result of this blessing, Jacob became exceedingly great. Hear what Genesis 30:43, says about his greatness: “And the man increased exceedingly, and had much cattle, and maidservants, and menservants, and camels, and asses.”
3. How about his brother Esau? Genesis 27:38-40 says after Jacob had stolen the cream of the blessing from him, Esau came to ask for the remnant. What was the result of this “remnant”? From Genesis 32:3-6, we understand that this remnant got him so blessed that he could afford to retain the services of 400 personal bodyguards. If you become so rich that you require 400 men to go with you wherever you go, that is something remarkable.
4. I can recall the first time a president visited us at the Redemption Camp; he came with an entourage of 250 people. So Imagine how blessed Esau was for him to have had 400 people in his entourage! I believe he was really blessed.
5. Moreover, let me add here that after a blessing is pronounced on you, it may not be obvious how the blessing will be fulfilled. Most times, it may not even make sense. You may not even be able to afford a bicycle now, and a blessing may be pronounced on you that a time will come when you will need a Boeing 747 to airlift those who will accompany you whenever you are travelling. It may not make sense to you, but that is what a blessing can do.
6. I often say that I am where I am today by the grace of God and by the blessings of my mother. Any time I did something that pleased her, she would bless me. She would say, “You this boy, you will call one person, and two hundred people will respond.” I didn’t know what she meant back then, and I didn’t know how it would happen, but I always said “Amen”. Today, by the grace of God, I can say this has become reality.
7. Have you provoked the blessing of your biological parents? Have you provoked the blessing of your spiritual parents? Most importantly, have you provoked a blessing from God?

SHORT REFLECTION BY THE LIGHT POINTERS

Craving for the blessings of God for our life should be ou attitude because the Bible says “The blessing of the Lord, it maketh rich, and he addeth no sorrow with it.” ‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭10:22‬ ‭‬‬. It’s also amazing that God is greatly interested in your prosperity “Let them shout for joy, and be glad, that favour my righteous cause: yea, let them say continually, Let the Lord be magnified, which hath pleasure in the prosperity of his servant.” Psalms‬ ‭35:27‬. However, there are people like our biological and spiritual fathers that we can receive blessing and honor through. May God bless Pastor E.A Adeboye and strengthen him on every side in Jesus name.

Action Point
When a blessing is pronounced on you, simply sustain a conducive atmosphere for its fulfilment, and it will surely come to pass.
HYMN
1 Take my life and let it be
consecrated, Lord, to thee.
Take my moments and my days;
let them flow in endless praise,
let them flow in endless praise.
2 Take my hands and let them move
at the impulse of thy love.
Take my feet and let them be
swift and beautiful for thee,
swift and beautiful for thee.
3 Take my voice and let me sing
always, only, for my King.
Take my lips and let them be
filled with messages from thee,
filled with messages from thee.
4 Take my silver and my gold;
not a mite would I withhold.
Take my intellect and use
every power as thou shalt choose,
every power as thou shalt choose.
5 Take my will and make it thine;
it shall be no longer mine.
Take my heart it is thine own;
it shall be thy royal throne,
it shall be thy royal throne.
6 Take my love; my Lord, I pour
at thy feet its treasure store.
Take myself, and I will be
ever, only, all for thee,
ever, only, all for thee. 

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