Monthly Archives: December 2017

Memorise: “I Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.” Luke 21:36
Read: Matthew 26:36-41
36 Then cometh Jesus with them unto a place called Gethsemane, and saith unto the disciples, Sit ye here, while I go and pray yonder.
37 And he took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be sorrowful and very heavy.
38 Then saith he unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch with me.
39 And he went a little farther, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.
40 And he cometh unto the disciples, and findeth them asleep, and saith unto Peter, What, could ye not watch with me one hour?
41 Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.
Bible in one year: Revelation 1:2, Haggai 1:12-2:9

1. The Lord in Hosea 4:6 reveals that ignorance is one of the greatest factors that lead to the undoing of believers.
2. What you attain in life may not go beyond what you know.
3. What you know adds to you, but what you fail to know takes away from you. The Lord Jesus Christ in Matthew 26:41 says, “Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak”
4. From these words of the Master, we understand that there is a link between what you know and how effectively you pray. We also understand that there is a link between what you know and how you overcome temptations.
5. The less you know about God, His ways and His word, the less inner strength you will have to overcome temptations.
6. If you want to live a Christian life that manifest the victory that Christ has given us over Satan, sin, self and the pleasures of the world, you must be well versed in the Scriptures.
7. You must study to show yourself approved before God (2nd Timothy 2:15). To what extent do you know God?
8. “Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.” Luke 21:36
9. This scripture tells us that although prayer is very important, it is however not enough.
10. If you can pray very well but lack knowledge, many things can still go wrong.
11. From the words of the Master in this scripture, prayer must be effectively combined with knowledge to be able to escape the dangers of the last days.
12. Do you know the signs of the times? Do you take time to monitor local, national and international events and reconcile these events with what God has said concerning them in His word?
13. If you have knowledge and are prayerful, certain things that would take the world by surprise cannot catch you off guard. In fact, you will be the one alerting others to the implications of the events happening around you.
14. In addition, it takes a combination of knowledge and prayer to be able to stand as a worthy vessel before the judgment seat of Christ.
15. When you know what the Lord wants of you, how He wants you to do the work He has assigned to you, and the time He has appointed for you to do the work, it will be easy to do it and to stand faultless before His throne at last.

Consistent study of God’s Word and fellowship with the Holy Spirit brings us into deep relationship with God. When this relationship is established then we are position for deep revelation from God. The more we ask, seek and knock the more we receive, find and it’s opened unto us. The grace to daily study and fellowship with Him is granted us in Jesus name. God be praised for Pastor E.A Adeboye in Jesus name.

Prayer Point
Father, please do all You need to do in me to present me faultless before your throne.
HYMN
How sweet the Name of Jesus sounds
In a believer’s ear!
It soothes his sorrows, heals his wounds,
And drives away his fear.
It makes the wounded spirit whole,
And calms the troubled breast;
’Tis manna to the hungry soul,
And to the weary, rest.
Jesus! My Shepherd, Husband, Friend,
 O Prophet, Priest and King,
 My Lord, my Life, my Way, my End,
 Accept the praise I bring.
Weak is the effort of my heart,
 And cold my warmest thought;
 But when I see Thee as Thou art,
 I’ll praise Thee as I ought.
Till then I would Thy love proclaim
With every fleeting breath,
And may the music of Thy Name
Refresh my soul in death!

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20

Memorise: “I will offer to thee the sacrifice of thanksgiving, and will call upon the name of the Lord.” Psalms 116:17
Read: Psalms 116:17-19   
17 I will offer to thee the sacrifice of thanksgiving, and will call upon the name of the Lord.
18 I will pay my vows unto the Lord now in the presence of all his people.
19 In the courts of the Lord’s house, in the midst of thee, O Jerusalem. Praise ye the Lord.
Bible in one year: Psalm 142-150, Haggai 1:1-11

1. If you have been washed in the precious Blood of the lamb, thanking God for the salvation of your soul is something you need to do daily for the rest of your life.
2. Some people throw parties to celebrate milestones and achievements in different areas of life, but Jesus said that what should give us the greatest joy is the fact that we are saved and have our names written in the Lamb’s Book of Life (Luke 10:20). That your name is in the Lamb’s Book of Life is a great testimony that you should regularly thank God for whenever you pray.
3. However, giving thanks to God is not always a very easy thing to do, particularly if you have been through a spate of negative and very sad events of experiences. In such situations, thanking God requires sacrifice.
4. Our God loves sacrifices – particularly a sacrifice of thanksgiving. No wonder the Psalmist says thus in Psalm 116:17: “I will offer to thee the sacrifice of thanksgiving, and will call upon the name of the LORD”
5. When you offer thanksgiving to God at a time when every situation in your life is saying that He doesn’t deserve it or that He has forsaken you, it is sacrificial.
6. Similarly, your thanksgiving is sacrificial when you thank God even when He has not granted your requests. This is an expression of faith.
7. Sacrificial thanksgiving glorifies God and proves to Him that your faith in Christ has spiritual substance.
8. Do you know that most people remember to thank God only when they believe He has ‘earned it’? Such people live by a personal philosophy which says “Whenever God does something for me, only then will I give Him thanks in return”. Such an attitude is simply calculative and myopic.
9. There are so many things God does for us everyday which we take for granted as normal everyday occurrences, but the truth is, nothing is ever really “normal”, and every day comes with its challenges.
10. Those who give God a sacrifice of thanksgiving do so because they choose to. They choose to see things from God’s perspective, which makes them see reasons why they ought to be grateful to God, even when other people cannot see any reason why.

The Lord dealt with David with so much love and compassion because of his unceasing sacrifice of praise. He made thanking God a daily a lifestyle and this made him a man after God’s heart. God loves it when we worship him in spirit and truth.John 4:23 says “But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.” Let’s give Him praise as many times as we can. God bless Pastor E.A Adeboye for blessing us with the word of God through the Holy Spirit and Open Heavens devotional in Jesus name.

Action Point
Apply the lessons learnt in today’s study to offer God a sacrifice of thanksgiving today.
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 wilt 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.
Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth,
Thy own dear presence to cheer and to guide;
Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow,
Blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside!

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20

Memorise: “Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.” Luke 10:19
Read: Matthew 14:23-29
23 And when he had sent the multitudes away, he went up into a mountain apart to pray: and when the evening was come, he was there alone.
24 But the ship was now in the midst of the sea, tossed with waves: for the wind was contrary.
25 And in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went unto them, walking on the sea.
26 And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, It is a spirit; and they cried out for fear.
27 But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid.
28 And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water.
29 And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus.
Bible in one year: Psalm 135-141, Zephaniah 3:9-20

1. On one of their journeys by sea, the disciples saw Jesus walking towards them on the water. Astonished to see this wonder, Peter asked the Lord Jesus Christ if he could join Him, and Lord invited him to come. Peter’s fellow disciples watched in amazement as he walked towards Jesus on the water. If only they too had responded to the Lord’s invitation, they would have partaken of this awesome experience, but they were not courageous enough to step out. Nevertheless, that invitation to do the impossible was not limited to them. It is still open to you and me today. In John 14:12, Jesus said, ‘’Verily, verily I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall do also.’ And greater works then these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.”
2. Beloved, the call to the works of Jesus and even perform greater works than He did is a call to the impossible.
3. To be able to do this, you must be prepared to believe in Jesus Christ with all your heart, leaving no space for doubt.
4. Do you believe in him? Why then do you still leave room for doubt? Don’t you know that the Lord never fails?
5. Furthermore, Jesus invites us to follow him. John 8:12 says, “Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.”
6. As the light, if you follow Jesus, you will not walk in darkness, and neither will you stumble.
7. Also, if you follow Him, He will make something great out of your life. He will make you what you never dreamt you could become.
8. Consider a person like Peter: he would have died an unknown fisherman if he had not accepted Christ’s invitation to follow him (Matthew4:18-19).
9. Have you accepted that invitation to follow Jesus?
10. Today some people give various excuses for not following him. One of such excuses is that they do not want to be disturbed or distracted from their life’s goal or ambition, failing to realise that if only they accepted Lord’s invitation, they would have had a greater future and they would have enjoyed His backing in all their life’s endeavours.
11. Have you heeded His invitation?

The key to signs and wonders as well as working of miracles is complete commitment to God and His work. Having faith in Him and His word with extreme trust that he honours His word opens us up to His faithfulness. He has called us to a higher life in Him that we may do greater works than He did. He has given us His word and power which is more than enough for us to proceed in the ministry He has called us to. We shall not fail Him in Jesus name. We are daily refreshed and blessed as we study the Open Heavens devotional. May God continually uphold and strengthen Pastor E.A Adeboye in Jesus name.

Prayer Point
The call to follow Jesus is a call to true discipleship. Are you His disciple?
HYMN
Take my life and let it be
consecrated, Lord, to thee.
Take my moments and my days;
Let them flow in endless praise.
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.
Take my voice and let me sing
Always, only, for my King.
Take my lips and let them be
Filled with messages from Thee.
Take my silver and my gold;
Not a mite would I withhold.
Take my intellect and use
Every power as Thou shalt choose.
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.
Take my love; my Lord, I pour
At Thy feet its treasure store.
Take myself, and I will be
Ever, only, all for Thee.

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20

Memorise: “Now the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned:” 1st Timothy 1:5
Read: 1st Timothy 1:5-9
5 Now the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned:
6 From which some having swerved have turned aside unto vain jangling;
7 Desiring to be teachers of the law; understanding neither what they say, nor whereof they affirm.
8 But we know that the law is good, if a man use it lawfully;
9 Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers,
Bible in one year: Psalm 120-134, Zephaniah 2:13-3:8

1. Salvation through Christ is such a great experience, but the devil in his characteristic manner has introduced counterfeits into people lives.
2. The consequence of possessing a counterfeit salvation experience is a life of pretence.
3. To guard against this wile of the devil, the Holy Spirit in 1st Timothy 1:5, admonishes us thus: ‘’Now the end of the commandement is charity out of a pure heart, and of good conscience, and of faith unfeigned.’’
4. While God wants us to show love to all, he equally cares about the source of this love.
5. The source of a thing goes a long way in determining its quality and value.
6. You cannot bring something good out of an evil heart. If you do, that good thing is already tainted. For instance, even though you see lots of food in dunghill, you will not go to eat from there.
7. God is therefore saying that you should do away with pretence and hypocrisy, because they taint whatever good works you are doing. He is saying that if you will show Him love, make sacrifices for His sake, or give to His cause, such actions must come out of a pure heart, with a good conscience and done with sincerity; otherwise, the doer of these works may not get any reward.
8. Are you saved? Is your salvation genuine or false? 2nd Corinthians 5:17 says if you are saved, old things are passed away. This means that if you were stealing before, after experiencing salvation, you will stop stealing. You cannot continue stealing and still lay claim to salvation.
9. While my father-in-the-Lord was alive, if you claim to be saved, he would ask you these questions. What were you saved from? ‘’What were you doing before that you no longer do now?’’
10. Today, people claim they are saved, and yet they still steal, lie or fornicate. What kind of salvation is that?
11. In one of my missionary trips outside Nigeria, a man came to me and said, ‘’ Sir, I heard that you are a prophet of God and that your prophecies are deadly accurate.’’ ‘’ is that so?’’ I replied and further added, ‘’I am not a prophet but Pastor, but I do hear from God once a while.’’ He then asked me to tell him his future. I asked him if he was born again and washed in the blood of Jesus Christ, and His response was ‘’No’’. So I said to him, ‘’future will be terrible’. Alarmed, he said, ‘’How how do you know? You don’t even know my name, and you have not even prayed!’’ I told him there was no need for that because Isaiah 3:11 says ‘’ Woe to the wicked!’’ On the other hand, if you are saved, your tomorrow will be alright.
12. Are you saved? Did you genuinely give your life to Jesus Christ on particular day? If not, do it today!

Entering into God’s presence requires a clean heart. Psalms 24:3‭-‬4. Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord ? or who shall stand in his holy place? He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully. God is not mocked and He cannot be deceived. He knows and sees all things. We should therefore make our ways right before Him and walk before Him without pretence. God bless and equip Pastor E.A Adeboye for greater works in Jesus name.

Action Point
The afterlife has no room for pretence. It’s all about reality and truth.
HYMN
1. Deeper, deeper in the love of Jesus
Daily let me go;
Higher, higher in the school of wisdom,
More of grace to know.
Chorus:
O deeper yet, I pray,
And higher every day,
And wiser, blessed Lord,
In Thy precious, holy Word.
2. Deeper, deeper, blessed Holy Spirit,
Take me deeper still,
Till my life is wholly lost in Jesus,
And His perfect will.
Chorus:
3. Deeper, deeper! though it cost hard trials,
Deeper let me go!
Rooted in the holy love of Jesus,
Let me fruitful grow.
Chorus:
4. Deeper, higher, every day in Jesus,
Till all conflict past,
Finds me conqu’ror, and in His own image
Perfected at last.
Chorus:
5. Deeper, deeper in the faith of Jesus,
Holy faith and true;
In His pow’r and soul exulting wisdom
Let me peace pursue.
Chorus

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20

Memorise: “Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.” Hebrews 4:13
Read: Hebrews 4:11-14    
11 Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.
12 For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
13 Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.
14 Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession.
Bible in one year: Psalm 119, Zephaniah 2:1-12

1. The way a child of God relates with sin is indicative of the level of brokenness he or she has attained.
2. An unbroken fellow tries to cover up sin. He or she tries to play smart with sin, particularly when its repercussions are not immediately apparent. In proverbs 28:13, the Holy spirit has this message for such people: “He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.”
3. If you fall into sin and the most important thing to you at that moment is that no one should know what you have done, it is because you are not broken.
4. In any case, to what extent can you truly hide sin? For how long can you cover up your evil deeds? Can you hide your sins from God?  Hebrews 4:13 answer this: “Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.”
5. Thinking that you can hide away your sins from God is living in a fool’s Paradise. This can be compared to the proverbial ostrich which buries his head in the sand to hide from predators, not realizing that is body is still visible to its enemy and vulnerable to attack.
6. Not only are your sin never hidden from God, they are equally not hidden from the saints in Heaven. Hebrews chapter 11 provides a list of saints that ran this race ahead of us and are now in Heaven. Hebrews 12:1 calls them a ‘cloud of witnesses’. These brethren know and can see all we are doing.
7. Someone who was privileged to visit Heaven and return to earth said that there is a curtain in Heaven that anyone there can pull and the fellow will be able to monitor the activities of anybody here on earth. Another brother who also had that same privilege spoke of how saints in Heaven gather together in a place like a stadium, where they watch earthly saints facing crucial trials of their faith. When a saint being watched compromises, they shout in disappointment, just like when your favourite football team concedes a goal.
8. In contrast, when a person stands for his or her faith in Christ, they shout with excitement.
9. Be aware that you are being watched.
10. If only you can imagine the number of eyes monitoring you, you would be conscious of the fact that nothing you do is hidden!

When a man genuinely surrenders unto Christ, he should be broken such that sin looses it’s grip on such person. Let’s call ourselves to repentance if we are yet to be broken. God bless Pastor E.A Adeboye in Jesus name.

Key Point
The next time you are tempted to sin in secret, just imagine multiple eyes peering at you from every corner of the enclosure you are in.
HYMN
1. Deeper, deeper in the love of Jesus
Daily let me go;
Higher, higher in the school of wisdom,
More of grace to know.
Chorus:
O deeper yet, I pray,
And higher every day,
And wiser, blessed Lord,
In Thy precious, holy Word.
2. Deeper, deeper, blessed Holy Spirit,
Take me deeper still,
Till my life is wholly lost in Jesus,
And His perfect will.
Chorus
3. Deeper, deeper! though it cost hard trials,
Deeper let me go!
Rooted in the holy love of Jesus,
Let me fruitful grow.
Chorus
4. Deeper, higher, every day in Jesus,
Till all conflict past,
Finds me conqu’ror, and in His own image
Perfected at last.
Chorus
5. Deeper, deeper in the faith of Jesus,
Holy faith and true;
In His pow’r and soul exulting wisdom
Let me peace pursue.
Chorus

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20

Memorise: “A son honoureth his father, and a servant his master: if then I be a father, where is mine honour? and if I be a master, where is my fear? saith the LORD of hosts unto you, O priests, that despise my name. And ye say, wherein have we despised thy name?” Malachi 1:6
Read: Malachi 1:6-8  
6 A son honoureth his father, and a servant his master: if then I be a father, where is mine honour? and if I be a master, where is my fear? saith the Lord of hosts unto you, O priests, that despise my name. And ye say, Wherein have we despised thy name?
7 Ye offer polluted bread upon mine altar; and ye say, Wherein have we polluted thee? In that ye say, The table of the Lord is contemptible.
8 And if ye offer the blind for sacrifice, is it not evil? and if ye offer the lame and sick, is it not evil? offer it now unto thy governor; will he be pleased with thee, or accept thy person? saith the Lord of hosts.
Bible in one year: Psalm 113-118, Zephaniah 1

1. For your prayer to be a sweet savour before the Almighty God, you must be prepared not only to praise Him but also to honour His Name.
2. You cannot truly claim to belong to God without reverencing or honouring His Name. This is why the Lord posed this crucial question to us in Malachi 1:6:  “A son honoureth his father and a servant his master: if then I be a Father, where is mine honour? and if be a master, where is my Fear? Saith the LORD of hosts unto you, o priest, that despise my name. And ye say, wherein have we despised thy name?”
3. If you look at the types of relationships referenced in the above Scripture passage, you will agree with me that the lower member of each relationship owes a type of honour to the higher member.
4. A son owes his father a high degree of honour and respect borne out of love. Also, a servant owes his master some degree of fear, honour and regard, as the master is the source of the servant’s livelihood. As a result of those, a father can demand honour of his son, just as a master can demand honour of his servant. However, when it comes to our relationship with God, many people who claim to be God’s children, prefer to relate with God without giving Him the honour due to His Name. Unsurprisingly, this is unacceptable to the One to whom all honour is due.
5. Today, the Lord is asking, “where is honour?” in other words, there are many honour-thieves in the Christian fold.
6. Are you an honour-thief? If you call on God’s Name without giving it the high regard it deserves, you are an honour-thief. If you fail the materials test, by offering to God a detective gift or a gift that does not befit His status as the King of kings, nor reflect the level of His blessings on your life, you are an honour-thief.
7. If you treat His assignments or handle His work with anything less than the honour due to Him, you are an honour-thief.
8. If your lifestyle makes people look down on your God, you are an honour-thief.
9. If you offer torn currency notes to God, when you know you cannot even use such to pay for things, you are an honour-thief.
10. Do you honour the Lord in all you do?

Honour the Lord with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase: Proverbs 3:9 Whoever reverence God will enjoy plenty and abundance on every side. He is worthy of every honour and adoration. God be praised for Pastor E.A Adeboye in Jesus name.

Prayer Point
Carefully come up with 5-10 ways of honouring God. Go ahead and implement them.
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.
Chorus:
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.
(Chorus)
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.
 (Chorus)  
To that 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.
(Chorus)

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20

Memorise: “I will stand upon my watch, and set me upon the tower, and will watch to see what he will say unto me, and what I shall answer when I am reproved. Habakkuk 2:1
Read: Habakkuk 2:1-3
1 I will stand upon my watch, and set me upon the tower, and will watch to see what he will say unto me, and what I shall answer when I am reproved.
2 And the Lord answered me, and said, Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it.
3 For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry.
Bible in one year: Psalm 108-112, Habakkuk 3

1. The power of vision is one very crucial lesson we can learn from Elisha’s unshakeable focus when his master was about to be taken up to heaven (2 kings 2: 1-15).
2. Vision gives directions.
3. What you see is what you attain, and what you focus on determines what comes to you in life.
4. You can never rise above your vision.
5. While speaking to Abraham concerning His promise that Abraham’s descendants would inherit the land of Canaan, the Lord plainly told him that what he would possess would be determine by the extent of his vision. Genesis 13:15 says “For all the land which thou seest, to thee will give it, and to thy seed forever.”
6. People have often said that what the mind can conceive can be achieved. What can you see? What can you picture or envision concerning your future?
7. For your mind to be able to see clearly, you have to be born again and have a recreated spirit which is capable of seeing things the God sees them (Romans 12:2).
8. In addition, what you focus on is equally very important. This is because what you focus on expands and fills your sight.
9. Your focus affects you significantly, shapes your life and determines what you attract to yourself.
10. The sons of the Prophets in all three locations Elijah visited before his rapture to heaven focus on loss. They focused on the fact that their national Prophet would soon be raptured, and they would soon be without their leader. Consequently, that was exactly what they got. On the other hand, Elisha focused on his singular goal of receiving a double portion of the Spirit of his master, Elijah, and he got it. We have a way of attracting what we focus on. What or who is your focus? 
11. Hebrews12:2 says we should look unto Jesus. In other word, it says we should make Jesus Christ our Focus. Furthermore, 2nd Corinthians 3:18 says, “But we all, with open face beholding as a glass the glory of the Lord, are change into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.”
12. When we focus on Jesus, we will begin to change from what we are into what He is.
13. Focusing on Jesus is a major change medium that will definitely make us what we ought to be.
14. Until you focus on Him, you will unknowingly be focusing on other things, individual or even yourself. What is your focus today?

The power of our mind can bring into existence whatever we desire. It is then left to us to see what is right. God is big enough to accommodate all our dreams as well as bring it to pass. God bless Pastor E.A Adeboye in Jesus name.

Action Point
Catalogue what you spend your time doing in a day, and this will give you a good indication of what your focus is really is. 
HYMN
1. O Jesus, I have promised, 
To serve Thee to the end;
Be Thou forever near me,
My Master and my Friend;
I shall not fear the battle
If Thou art by my side,
Nor wander from the pathway
If Thou wilt be my Guide.
2. Oh, let me hear Thee speaking,
In accents clear and still,
I dare not trust my judgment:
Thy way shall be my will;
Oh, speak to reassure me,
To hasten or control;
Oh, speak, and make me listen,
Thou Guardian of my soul.
3. O Jesus, Thou hast promised
To all who follow Thee
That where Thou art in glory
There shall Thy servant be;
And Jesus, I have promised
To serve Thee to the end;
Oh, give me grace to follow,
My Master and my Friend.
4. Oh, let me see Thy footmarks,
And in them plant mine own;
My hope to follow duly
Is in Thy strength alone.
Oh, guide me, call me, draw me,
Uphold me to the end;
And then in Heav’n receive me,
My Savior and my Friend

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Memorise: “Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding. Proverbs 4:7         
Read: Daniel 2:46-49
46 Then the king Nebuchadnezzar fell upon his face, and worshipped Daniel, and commanded that they should offer an oblation and sweet odours unto him.
47 The king answered unto Daniel, and said, Of a truth it is, that your God is a God of gods, and a Lord of kings, and a revealer of secrets, seeing thou couldest reveal this secret.
48 Then the king made Daniel a great man, and gave him many great gifts, and made him ruler over the whole province of Babylon, and chief of the governors over all the wise men of Babylon.
49 Then Daniel requested of the king, and he set Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, over the affairs of the province of Babylon: but Daniel sat in the gate of the king.
Bible in one year: Psalm 106-107, Habakkuk 2:2-20

1. The Scriptures declare that wisdom is a major asset we must acquire (Proverbs 4:7).
2. To get wisdom, you have to first lay its foundation stones with knowledge.
3. What you know can determine your position in life. It was what Joseph knew, together with the ability to interpret dreams, that God used to move him from prison to the throne (Genesis 41:1-44). In other words, the stop-gap between you and your place of destiny is knowledge.
4. Can you truthfully say that you know enough to get you to your place of destiny? If your answer is in the negative, then start acquiring knowledge today.
5. In many corporate organizations, preference is given to those who have acquired more knowledge than others. This is why there is a tendency to select employees with higher degree for higher positions in these organizations. So don’t just remain stagnant in knowledge, acquire more of it!
6. Enroll for higher degrees and relevant online or offline training programmes to position yourself for a more successful career ahead of time.
7. What you know can promote you and bring you before kings. Furthermore, what you know can deliver you from death. No wonder the Lord in Hosea 4:6a, said: “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge:”
8. It was the information Daniel and his colleagues received from God that delivered them and the rest of the wise men of Babylon from death. In other words, what you don’t know can kill you.
9. Ignorance is not just a disease, but also a killer – a worse killer than some diseases. Ignorance is a terrible destroyer!
10. Lack of knowledge can lead to a lot of wasteful spending. For example, if a person doesn’t know the importance of maintaining good hygiene, he or she will fall sick often and waste money on treatments that could have been avoided.
11. Do you know that many people are being taken advantage of by the devil because they do not know their rights and privileges in God’s Kingdom? They do not know that they have been healed by the stripes of Jesus, and so they continue in sickness. 
12. If you fail to know that Jesus has paid the price for you to be rich, you will remain in poverty and even celebrate it like some people do today.
13. What do you know?

Wisdom is profitable in every affair of life. It has a special way of putting it’s carrier over in life. It is therefore important for us to ignore the pain, stress and cost of acquiring it because the aftermath of it’s acquisition is worth it. God will help us to take the bold step and acquire the needed knowledge for greater and higher life. We are daily refreshed as we study the Open Heavens devotional. May God continually increase Pastor E.A Adeboye in Jesus name.

Prayer Point
If you do not yet have a degree and you are less than 60 years, consider enrolling for one.
HYMN
My faith looks up to thee,
Thou Lamb of Calvary,
Savior divine;
Now hear me while I pray;
Take all my guilt away.
O let me from this day
Be wholly thine!
May thy rich grace impart
Strength to my fainting heart,
My zeal inspire.
As thou hast died for me,
O may my love to thee
Pure, warm, and changeless be,
A living fire!
While life’s dark maze I tread
And griefs around me spread,
Be thou my guide;
Bid darkness turn to day,
Wipe sorrow’s tears away,
Nor let me ever stray
From thee aside.
When life’s swift race is run,
Death’s cold work almost done,
Be near to me.
Blest Savior, then, in love
Fear and distrust remove.
O bear me safe above,
Redeemed and free!

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Memorise: Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven. Luke 10:20
Read: Luke 10:17-20
17 And the seventy returned again with joy, saying, Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through thy name.
18 And he said unto them, l beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven.
19 Behold, l give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you
20 Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you, but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven.
Bible in one year: Psalm 102-105, Habakkuk 1:1-2:1

1. If you are sure of your salvation from sin, you need to be grateful to God.
2. The reason is that there is nothing else in the whole wide world that can transform a sinner into a saint other than the Name of Jesus and the power of His Blood. Acts 4:12 says, “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men,whereby we must be saved.”
3. No hero from any country can save you; neither can any prophet from any age or dispensation deliver you.
4. No amount of money can buy you out of Hell, and no level of good works or moral uprightness can redeem you either. Only faith in the Name of Jesus and faith in the cleansing power of His Blood can save you.
5. Thank God that Jesus fully paid the price of our redemption! If He had only paid in part, you can be sure that no one would have been saved today, going by Satan’s antecedents. However, Jesus fully paid for our redemption Hallelujah! To show that the price has been paid in full, shortly before He died on the cross, He publicly declared “It is finished!” (John 19:30). Therefore, you ought to daily thank God for your salvation.
6. How often do you appreciate Him for saving your soul?
7. Today, many believers celebrate their birthdays, graduation from school, promotion at the office, appointments, winning big contracts and other major achievements in life, but many of these people forget to even say “Thank You Jesus for the salvation of my soul”. This is the benefit that should give you the greatest joy!
8. After the 70 disciples sent out by the Lord for evangelism returned with fantastic testimonies of the success of their outing, the Lord shocked them by telling them that they were rejoicing over what was not the main issue.
9. He then told them what the object of their joy should be: Not withstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven. Luke 10:20.
10. Your salvation from sin is far more important than any other achievements you have on earth. Great is the value that God and the whole of heaven place on it.
11. You should therefore thank God for it every day of your life, it is well worth it.

SHORT REFLECTION BY THE LIGHT POINTERS

Thank you God for the salvation of my soul. It is very important we thank God for saving us. This is because some people are perishing without the opportunity of being saved. Some heard the word but didn’t receive the Saviour. Let’s pray that God should uphold us in our journey and for others who are yet to receive Christ as their Lord and Saviour to be saved in Jesus name. God be praised for Pastor E.A Adeboye in Jesus name.

Prayer Point
If you knew the severity of eternal hell, you would treasure the salvation of your soul and thank God always for it.
HYMN
1 How sweet the name of Jesus sounds 
in a believer’s ear! 
It soothes our sorrows, heals our wounds, 
and drives away our fear. 
2 It makes the wounded spirit whole 
and calms the troubled breast; 
’tis manna to the hungry soul, 
and to the weary, rest. 
3 O Jesus, shepherd, guardian, friend, 
my Prophet, Priest, and King, 
my Lord, my Life, my Way, my End, 
accept the praise I bring. 
4 How weak the effort of my heart, 
how cold my warmest thought; 
but when I see you as you are, 
I’ll praise you as I ought. 
5 Till then I would your love proclaim 
with every fleeting breath; 
and may the music of your name 
refresh my soul in death.

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Posted by admina

Memorise: Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. Proverbs 3:5
Read: Proverbs 3:5-7
5 Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.
6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.
7 Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the Lord, and depart from evil.
Bible in one year: Psalm 93 – 101, Nahum 3:5-19

1. To experience exploits in your life, you must have a personal relationship with God.
2. You must believe that He lives and love Him with all your heart.
3. You must also learn to trust in Him.
4. The command to pay tithes on your earnings simply places a demand on you to trust in God. Your response to this command shows the level of trust you have in Him.
5. If you can pay your tithe correctly, it shows that you trust God for your livelihood, but if you find it difficult to be faithful in doing this, it simply shows that you trust more in your earnings than in God to sustain you.
6. After I became newly born again and we were taught to pay tithes, I laughed and said in my mind, “These people do not know that I am a mathematician. If 100% is not enough for me, how can 90% be enough after I have paid 10% as tithe? Thank you very much! Even though these people are not educated, they still want to use their smartness to take 10% of my income from me. Let them try and take it” However, down the line, God convinced me by Himself and I observed remarkable changes in my life.
7. In those days, I was a lecturer in the university. I had a car but was afraid to drive in Lagos so I got a driver. At the end of the month, I would pay my driver his salary, but by the middle of the next month, I would have to borrow money from him to buy petrol (gasoline). This happened month after month. I continued to struggle with my finances and even had to spend all my earnings. However, when I started paying my tithes, I suddenly realized I did not need a driver anymore, because boldness came from nowhere and I could now drive myself. Also, I did not have to visit hospitals again because I now had the Great Physician as my doctor. My children did not fall sick again, and that leakage in my finances was blocked off. All of a sudden, doors of opportunities began to open to me because I trusted the Lord.
8. Are you still struggling with tithing? If you are, it only shows that you do not trust God to take care of you.
9. The truth is, whatever you are paid may never be sufficient to meet all your needs because you are limited to that source, whereas you are open to various devourers.
10. In contrast, when you tithe, you will have access to resources beyond your income because God’s storehouse will be opened to you, and He will also block every source of losses in your life. It is a matter of choice.
11. Why don’t you start trusting God from today by paying your tithe faithfully?

It’s important for us to understand that when God’s gives instruction, it’s never for restriction or that He needs our money but for our God. The Bible say “If they obey and serve Him, They shall spend their days in prosperity, And their years in pleasures.” ‭‭Job‬ ‭36:11‬‬‬. The first prerequisite is obedience. Believe me prosperity is your inheritance but total submission to your maker matters. God bless Pastor E.A Adeboye in Jesus name.

Key Point
It is shocking to know that quite a number of God’s children cannot trust God with their finances.
HYMN
Take my life and let it be
consecrated, Lord, to thee.
Take my moments and my days;
Let them flow in endless praise.
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.
Take my voice and let me sing
Always, only, for my King.
Take my lips and let them be
Filled with messages from Thee.
Take my silver and my gold;
Not a mite would I withhold.
Take my intellect and use
Every power as Thou shalt choose.
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.
Take my love; my Lord, I pour
At Thy feet its treasure store.
Take myself, and I will be
Ever, only, all for Thee.

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