Memorise: Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 5:3
Read: Luke 18:9-14
9 And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others:
10 Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican.
11 The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.
12 I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.
13 And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.
14 I tell you, this man went down to his housejustifled rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humble the himself shall be exalted.
Bible in one year: Leviticus 13, Jeremiah 8:4-17

1. Some people believe that the poor are automatic candidates for making heaven; hence they see them as being blessed. Nothing could be further from the truth.
2. This error is derived from a wrong interpretation of the scripture in today’s memory verse.
3. No matter how poor you are, if you are not reconciled with your Maker, the Kingdom of heaven is a mere illusion for you. Whereas, you may be as rich as Father Abraham himself was, and when you die, you will still make heaven. Revelation 19:5 says, “And a voice came out of the throne, saying, Praise our God, all ye his servants, and ye that fear him, both small and great.”
4. Irrespective of whether you are rich or poor, once you meet the condition for admission into the Kingdom of God, you will be granted access.
5. What is this condition? Revelations 21:27 gives us insight into this: “And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that deflleth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb’s book of life.”
6. The question then is this: What type of “poor” was Jesus referring to in Matthew 5:3? It is the poor in spirit, and not the poor in wealth or riches.
7. Who then are the poor in spirit? They are those who realise their spiritual insufficiency as touching the requirements of God with regards to righteousness, and they have a thirst in their spirit to overcome this inadequacy.
8. This thirst will metamorphose into a search for God and for His mercy.
9. The Almighty God is always waiting to receive such people, and He leads them on the path of righteousness through His Son, Jesus Christ.
10. Like the publican in today’s Bible reading, the poor in spirit have no righteousness of their own, and hence, they cry for the mercy of God.
11. The “rich in spirit” on the other hand will never cry for God’s mercy; they will always rely on their own righteousness.
12. Of such is the Pharisee in our Bible text. Concerning the poor in spirit (the publican), Jesus Christ said “this man went down to his house justifled rather the other the other.” Therefore, for anyone to enter into the Kingdom of heaven, such a fellow must first humble himself or herself at the Cross of Jesus Christ, confess his or her sins, forsake them with a promise never to return to them again, and then ask for grace to live a life that is pleasing to God Almighty (1 John 1:9).

Matthew 5:6 -Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. The rich have abundance unlike the poor that lack. The poor therefore falls in the category of they that thirst and hunger and the scripture above made it clear that they will be filled. God likes it when we are open in our unrighteousness and unfaithfulness. He is willing to accept anyone who comes to Him plain. It is left to us to humble ourselves and ask for His mercy. I pray we shall reign with Him in the end in Jesus name. Father prosper your word in us and flood the author of this devotional with greater wisdom and deeper insight into your word in Jesus name.

Prayer Point
Father, l humble myself before Your throne of grace today; please forgive my spiritual pride and take me to Your side by Your mercy. At the end of my life, let me reign with you.
HYMN
Deeper, deeper in the love of Jesus
Daily let me go;
Higher, higher in the school of wisdom,
More of grace to know.
Refrain:
O deeper yet, I pray,
And higher every day,
And wiser, blessed Lord,
ln 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.
[Refrain]
Deeper, deeper! though it cost hard trials,
Deeper let me go!
Rooted in the holy love of Jesus,
Let me fruitful grow.
[Refrain]
Deeper, higher, every day in Jesus,
Till all conflict past,
Finds me conqu’ror, and in His own image
Perfected at last.
[Refrain]
Deeper, deeper in the faith of Jesus,
Holy faith and true;
ln His pow’r and soul exulting wisdom
Let me peace pursue.
[Refrain]

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Memorise: For she said within herself, If I may but touch his garment, I shall be whole. Matthew 9:21
Read: Luke 13:11-16
11 And, behold, there was a woman which had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bowed together, and could in no wise lift up herself.
12 And when Jesus saw her, he called her to him, and said unto her, woman, thou art loosed from thine infirmity.
13 And he laid his hands on her: and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God.
14 And the ruler of the synagogue answered with indignation, because that Jesus had healed on the sabbath day, and said unto the people, there are six days in which men ought to work: in them therefore come and be healed, and not on the sabbath day.
15 The Lord then answered him, and said, Thou hypocrite, doth not each one of you on the sabbath loose his ox or his ass from the stall, and lead him away to watering?
16 And ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan hath bound, lo, these eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the sabbath day?
Bible in one year: Leviticus 10-12, Jeremiah 7:27-8:3

1. As children of God living in times of advanced technological developments, one truth we must never lose consciousness of is that God is still in the business of healing people.
2. Some may want to ask why God still cares about healing people, since He has endowed humanity with laudable insights into the causes and cures of various sicknesses and diseases. The answer is not far-fetched: there are sicknesses that are not of physical origin; rather, they are demonically inflicted. Orthodox medicine is incapable of healing such sicknesses.
3. Although orthodox medicine will always have a name for every sickness or disease it is confronted with, the truth of the matter is, some of these afflictions have their operations being supervised from the pit of Hell.
4. Today’s Bible text tells the story of a woman who was bound by the spirit of infirmity for eighteen years. Jesus Christ ministered deliverance to her, and He set her loose from that bondage of sickness. We might not have known the source of her infirmity, but for the opposition voiced against her being healed on the Sabbath day. Jesus, in His response to the objections raised, revealed the source of this woman’s infirmity to be Satan. ln Luke 13:16 He said: “And ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan hath bound, lo, these eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the sabbath day?”
5. Nevertheless, the good news is: irrespective of whether a sickness stems from demonic or physical sources, the Almighty God is still interested in healing His people of all ailments afflicting them, especially those who believe in what He is capable of doing.
6. In Jeremiah 32:27, the Lord Himself challenges us with this question: “Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh: is there any thing too hard for me?”
7. By this, He is telling us that since He created the human body, He cannot be incapable of fixing any problem that may arise within it.
8. Automobile manufacturers cannot be incapable of fixing problems emanating from their inventions. In the worst case scenario, they will replace a problematic part of an automobile, and the whole system will bounce back to life.
9. Even if automobile manufacturers cannot fix the problems of their inventions, the Almighty God can fix His.
10. There is no sickness too small to attract God’s attention; neither is there any sickness too big to intimidate Him.
11. The onus is on you to develop the living faith that will attract His healing hands to perform the needed miracle on you.
12. My prayer for you is that your body will receive divine healing today in Jesus’ Name.

When we hear some testimonies, it sounds so big that we wonder how it happened. The potter can break down and remould with no stress. His greatness and power cannot be described. Man cannot phantom His miraculous ability. Nothing is too big for Him to turn around. All He needs from us is mountain moving faith. Let’s put our faith to work to get our desired healing and we shall return with a testimony in Jesus name. God bless Pastor E.A Adeboye for blessing us with the word of God through this devotional in Jesus name.

Prayer Point
Father, please lay Your healing hands on me and heal all my infirmities.
HYMN
The great Physician now is near,
The sympathizing Jesus;
He speaks the drooping heart to cheer,
Oh! hear the voice of Jesus.
Refrain:
Sweetest note in seraph song,
Sweetest name on mortal tongue;
Sweetest carol ever sung,
Jesus, blessed Jesus.
Your many sins are all forgiven,
Oh! hear the voice of Jesus;
Go on your way in peace to heaven,
and wear a crown with Jesus.
[Refrain]
All glory to the risen Lamb!
l now believe in Jesus;
I love the blessed Savior’s name,
| love the name of Jesus.
[Refrain]
His name dispels my guilt and fear,
No other name but Jesus;
Oh! how my soul delights to hear
The charming name of Jesus.
[Refrain]

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Memorise:
He saith unto them, Moses because of the hardness of your hearts suffered you to put away your wives: but from the beginning it was not so. Matthew 19:8
Read: Matthew 5:31-32
31 It hath been said, Whosoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorcement:
32 But I say unto you, That whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery: and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth adultery.
Bible in one year: Leviticus 8-9, Jeremiah 7:8-26

1. The paradigm shifts introduced by the Lord Jesus Christ ever since He came to reveal the perfect will of the Father to us are indeed numerous. One of these is in the area of divorce and remarriage.
2.The Jewish leaders hated the teachings of Jesus and the change He came to introduce; for this reason, they wanted him dead fast!
3. Indeed, no man ever spoke like Jesus did.
4. The amazing thing is that these leaders believed they were doing the will of God by killing Him. John 11:49-50 says, “And one of them, named Caiaphas, being the high priest that same year, said unto them, Ye know nothing at all, Nor consider that it is expedient for us, that one man should die for the people, and that the whole nation perish not.”
5. Just like these Jewish leaders of yesteryears, some church leaders and pastors today try to justify their error in the area of divorce and remarriage, thinking that they are doing what is expedient for themselves or for the parties concerned.
6. In our Bible reading for today, in opposition to the accepted standard of His time, Jesus revealed the perfect will of God concerning this. Hear what He said: “But l say unto you, That whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery: and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth adultery.” Matthew 5:32
7. In Matthew 19:3-10, when Jesus was confronted by the Pharisees on the issue of divorce as applied from the time of Moses, they were shocked to learn His standpoint on this matter. Jesus revealed to them that they had been living under the permissive will of God in this area (Matthew 19:8), and He also reinforced what He had already said about divorce and remarriage in His Sermon on the Mount. Just as so many people are perplexed by this teaching today, even the disciples of Jesus were also perplexed by it (Matthew 19:10).
8. However, that is the verdict of the new covenant. We have to accept the standard the Master has set and walk in it.
9. Whoever has ears, let them hear what Jesus Christ is saying to those who want to enjoy the provision of the new covenant in His Blood.

Christ is an embodiment of wisdom and knowledge. This is so because He is one with God and the Holy Spirit. For this reason He had deep revelation and was able to give insight as regards several issue. As seen in our reading today, His standard does not concur with divorce. Devil is aware that God detest divorce and so he is channelling effort to seeing that most homes don’t stand. We are to plant our families on the solid rock and I believe there no storm can bring it down. May the works of the devil never prosper in our families in Jesus name. As we are watered daily by studying the Open Heavens Daily Devotional so shall the Lord water our father Pastor E.A Adeboye in Jesus name.

Prayer Point:
Father, help me to meet up to the standard of the requirements of the new covenant, and bless me through it, in Jesus’ Name.
HYMN
1. 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’II 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.
2. 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]
3. 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]
4. 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.
[Refrain]

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Memorise: And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members shall perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell. Matthew 5:29
Read: Matthew 5:27-30
27 Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery:
28 But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.
29 And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.
30 And if thy right hand offend thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.
Bible in one year: Leviticus 6-7, Jeremiah 6:22-7:7

1. Under the old covenant that God had with the children of Israel, a person was not guilty of sexual immorality, like fornication or adultery, until they performed the act. This was the basis of the poser thrown at Jesus by the scribes and Pharisees in John 8:4-5: “They say unto him, Master, this woman was taken in adultery, in the very act. Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what sayest thou?”
2. What they failed to realise was that Jesus came to establish a new covenant with mankind and not to perpetuate the old.
3. Under the new covenant, Jesus made it clear that it is not until you sleep with someone other than your spouse that you are guilty of sexual immorality. Rather, in Matthew 5:28, He said thus: “… Whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.”
4. This is food for thought for us who live in such times as this, where nudity and lust are glorified and glamorised by the world.
5. This however should not be the case in the Church of Jesus Christ.
6. When we promote the lust of the eye by allowing nudity in the Church, we expose members to sexual immorality, even if they do not actually carry out the act.
7. A member of the choir who dresses seductively to lead praises and worship songs will not lead the congregation into the presences of God; rather, he or she will leave the congregation worse off than they were before coming to church.
8. This is not a question of being legalistic; it is a matter of divine principle as put forth by the Lord Jesus Christ Himself.
9. We should remember that God can only be worshipped in spirit, because He is a Spirit.
10. When we then, in the name of liberty, promote adultery and fornication through lust, are we operating in the same Spirit as the Almighty God we claimed to worship?
11. Hear the recommendation of the Lord Christ in Matthew 5:29: “And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.”
12. Based on the standard laid out in this recommendation, if a member of the Body of Christ conducts himself or herself in a way that exposes the people of God to committing sexual immorality through lust, such a fellow should be corrected in love and warned to desist. Further appropriate spiritual sanctions can be applied if the fellow does not heed this warning.
13. Are you in any way living in sexual immorality? Repent and ask the Lord Jesus Christ to save you!

 


SHORT REFLECTION BY THE LIGHT POINTERS

Many ignorantly or internationally make others go astray by their deeds, words and ways. Our Lord Jesus in Matthew 18:7-9(AMP) says: “Woe (judgment is coming) to the world because of stumbling blocks and temptations to sin! It is inevitable that stumbling blocks come; but woe to the person on whose account or through whom the stumbling block comes! “If your hand or your foot causes you to stumble and sin, cut it off and throw it away from you [that is, remove yourself from the source of temptation]; it is better for you to enter life crippled or lame, than to have two hands or two feet and be thrown into everlasting fire. If your eye causes you to stumble and sin, pluck it out and throw it away from you [that is, remove yourself from the source of temptation]; it is better for you to enter life with only one eye, than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fiery hell.” There is curse on the channel through which stumbling block comes. When Christ lays emphasis on a particular subject or issue, it is important for us to take heed. He repeated the same thing He said in our memory verse in the above scripture also and that shows we have to eliminate everything that can hinder us from entering into the kingdom of God. We will never function as stumbling block in the body of Christ in Jesus name. God be praised for today’s charge and may He bless the vessel used in Jesus name.

Prayer Point
Father, restrain me from becoming a stumbling block to my fellow believers in all that I do.
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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20
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Memorise:For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 5:20
Read: Matthew 5:21-24
5:21 Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment:
5:22 But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of thejudgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.
5:23 Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee;
5:24 Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.
Bible in one year: Leviticus 4-5, Jeremiah 6:6-12

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

1. The Lord Jesus Christ came to this world to manifest the nature and character of God to us. He also came to establish a new covenant between God and mankind through His blood (Luke 22:20). By establishing a new covenant, He did away with the old. Hebrews 8:7-8 says,
“For if that first covenant had been faultless, then should no place have been sought for the second. For finding fault with them, he saith, Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah:”
2. He showed us the character of this new covenant through the relationship He had with the Father while here on earth, and through the words that He spoke. For this reason, we need to pay close attention to the things He said, if we want to reap the full benefits of the new covenant in His Blood.
3. ln today’s Bible reading, Jesus reveals some of the characteristics of the new covenant. He said that being angry with your brother without a genuine reason is tantamount to murder in the sight of God! For this reason, the Bible in Ephesians 4:26 says:
“Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath:”
4. lt is even better not to be angry at all because being angry can degenerate into having murderous thoughts. We tend to say things that engender strife when we are angry. For this reason, the wisdom of God in Proverbs 15:1 admonishes us, saying:”A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger.”Of course you know that most times, you don’t speak soft words when you are angry.
5. Similarly, Jesus said if you call your brother a fool, you will be in danger of Hell Fire. There are many ways a man can call his brother a fool – not necessarily by the words of mouth alone. When you take a person for granted and take advantage of him or her, you are calling that person a fool. When you cleverly cheat on your spouse, you are calling him or her a fool. In light of these truths, if you have done anything synonymous to murder, you need to repent and make restitution. You may have angrily destroyed the career of a man who has mouths to feed. You have killed such a fellow, because he can no longer perform his obligations as a bread winner. If you are guilty of such, your salvation lies in repentance and restitution: seeking forgiveness from God and the wronged fellow. Whoever has ears, let him give heed to the message of Jesus Christ.

SHORT REFLECTION BY THE LIGHT POINTERS

The word of God is out today for everyone who has decided to let go of every luggage and burden of devil they have been carrying about. Most people including some believers continue unconsciously carrying what belongs to the devil and failed to understand due to ignorance or even intentionally. How long will you continue to deceive yourself? Sometimes you feel like you are deceiving God but we need to understand that God can never be deceived. Galatians 6:7 says Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. How willyou continue to frustarate the grace of God. No wonder Apostle Paul said ” I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.
21 I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain. Galatians 2:20-21. God bless our father in the Lord Pastor E.A Adeboye for this daily insight of the word of God.

Action Point:
Father, keep me away from the spirit of anger, and grant me the grace not to use curse words on people.
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’II 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 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.

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Memorise: And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; Mark 16:17
Read: Acts 3:1-9
1 Now Peter and John went up together into the temple at the hour of prayer, being the ninth hour.
2 And a certain man lame from his mother’s womb was carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, to ask alms of them that entered into the temple;
3 Who seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple asked an alms.
4 And Peter, fastening his eyes upon him with John, said, Look on us.
5 And he gave heed unto them, expecting to receive something of them.
6 Then Peter said, Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk.
7 And he took him by the right hand, and lifted him up: and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength.
8 And he leaping up stood, and walked, and entered with them into the temple, walking, and leaping, and praising God.
9 And all the people saw him walking and praising God:
Bible in one year: Leviticus 1-3, Jeremiah 5:18-6:5

1. There are many great things the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ can do in our lives, one of which is healing.
2. It is unfortunate that many believers today, like Gehazi of old, prefer financial and material gains to power in the Name of Jesus. They trade the precious Name of Jesus Christ for the ephemeral things of life.
3. It is also highly regrettable that this divinely exalted Name, which God the Father gave to His Son, is being despised by many today. Philippians 2:9-10 says this about the Name: “Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and give him a name which is above every name: that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;”
4. Here’s good news for you: every kind of sickness in this world is included among the things that bow at the mention of the Name of Jesus.
5. Today’s Bible reading shows us one of the reasons why we need to give pre-eminence to the Name of Jesus Christ.
6. Peter and John, two of the Lord’s apostles, were entering the temple at the hour of prayer, and a lame man (who was born lame) looked up to them for alms. Although they had no money, but because they knew and cherished the Name, they used its healing power to give what money could not buy to this man. In Acts 3:6b, Peter said: “Sliver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee:  I the name of Jesus Christ of Nazarethe rise up and walk.
7. The result of this effective use of the Healing Name is that a lame man, who never walked all his life, began to walk and to leap!
8. I therefore command every storm raging in your life to be still in Jesus’ Name. Have doctors written off your case? I command that sickness to leave you alone right now in the mighty Name of Jesus Christ.
9. Beloved of God, I am introducing the Healing Name to you today, and that Name is Jesus. If you have not encountered the owner of that Name, may I introduce Him to you as the Saviour of the spirit, soul and body.
10. Through His Name, He can deliver you ailing body from the grip of any terminal disease. All you need to do is to accept Him as your personal Lord and Saviour.
11. Believe He can heal you, and He will surely heal you by His Name.

There is power in the name of Jesus Christ for God highly exalted Him and give him a name which is above every name: that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth. This means there is no hiding place for any other name that torments those who have confessed the Lordship of Christ Jesus. Things are easily conceded in darkness but Christ is light and wherever He is darkness dissappears. This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. 1 John 1:5 Whoever meets with Him meets with healing for He is the Healer and the good news is that there is still Balm in Gilead for all who will come to Him. We are daily blessed as we study the Open Heavens devotional. May God refresh and bless Pastor E.A Adeboye daily as well in Jesus name.

Prayer Point
Jesus the Healer, I believe in Your Healing Name; please have mercy on me and heal me today through Your Name.
HYMN
What a friend we have in Jesus,
All our sins and griefs to bear!
What a privilege to carry
Everything to God in prayer!
Oh, what peace we often forfeit,
Oh, what needless pain we bear,
All because we do not carry
Everything to God in prayer!
Have we trials and temptations?
Is there trouble anywhere?
We should never be discouraged—
Take it to the Lord in prayer.
Can we find a friend so faithful,
Who will all our sorrows share?
Jesus knows our every weakness;
Take it to the Lord in prayer.
Are we weak and heavy-laden,
Cumbered with a load of care?
Precious Savior, still our refuge—
Take it to the Lord in prayer.
Do thy friends despise, forsake thee?
Take it to the Lord in prayer!
In His arms He’ll take and shield thee,
You wilt find a solace there.

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Memorise:
And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen.Mark 16:20
Read: Isaiah 54:16-17
16 Behold, I have created the smith that bloweth the coals in the fire, and that bringeth forth an instrument for his work; and I have created the waster to destroy.
17 No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is of me, saith the LORD.
Bible in one year: Exodus 39-40 and Jeremiah 5:1-17

1. Psalm 24:8-10 reveals our Heavenly father as the Lord of Hosts, who is mighty in battle.
2. As a Man of war, there are some battles He may fight for you, while there are some others He may fight with you. He may also fight some battles through you.
3. In Exodus 14:13-21, when the children of Israel were confronted with the Egyptians and the Red Sea, they thought their end had come, but Moses told them to be quiet, to wait and watch as the Lord would fight for them. Sure enough, God parted the Red Sea for them to go over, and He drowned all their enemies.
4. The reason why some people are in defeat is because they are trying to fight the battles that only God can fight for them.
5. You may want to ask this question: how do I identify such battles? May God open your eyes to know the battles meant for Him alone! I also pray for that God will not ignore the battles only He can fight on your behalf. The Lord will arise for you, as you give Him quality praise and worship, and He will drown your enemies.
6. In a battle against the Amorites in Joshua 10:9-14, while Joshua was busy fighting, God also was busy hurling stones upon his enemies. God and Joshua fought together and victory was won. This is an example of a battle where God fights with you.
7. In this case, God may just be waiting for you to start the fight before He joins in. Consequently, if you wait for Him to start the battle, He may never do so.
8. Take for instance the battle for the salvation of souls; God expects us to go and preach the good news of the gospel to sinners, and then He will back us up with signs and wonders (Hebrews 2:4). If you don’t go out to evangelise, you may never see the signs and wonders promised by God being manifested in your life.
9. Finally, there are battles God will fight through you. In such cases, God will be behind the scenes while He puts you forward.
10. The enemy will then examine you to see how vulnerable you are. He will be attracted to attacking you because to him, you will appear to be an easy prey. However, when he attacks, God will quietly tell you what to do, and the enemy will be floored.
11. In Mark 11:23-24, Jesus said you are the one to speak to mountain in faith, and God will move it into the sea.
12. You are the one to condemn any tongue that rises against you while God frustrates every weapon designed against you (Isaiah 54:17). In all of these, are you correctly playing your part?

One of the the names of God is Jehovah Sabaoth which means the Lord of Host. He is the host of heavens, earth and underneath the earth. When God fights with you, your victory is assured as the Bible says in Colossians 1:16 “For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:” . In other words, both visible and invisible fights, When God is in charge your victory is sure. You don’t have to struggle for physical weapons because the Bible says “(For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)” 2 Corinthians‬ ‭10:4‬. May God bless Pastor E.A Adeboye for blessing us with the word of God daily.

Prayer Point:
Father, teach my hands to war and my fingers to fight only the battles You want me to fight. Also, grant me the grace to engage the enemy the way You want it done.
HYMN
1. O lord my God!
When I’m in awesome wonder,
Consider all the worlds
Thy hands hath made;
I see the stars,
I heard the rolling thunder
Thy pow’r throughout
The universe displayed
Chorus
Then sing my soul,
My Saviour God to thee;
How great Thou art!
How great Thou art!
Then sings my soul!
My Saviour God to thee;
How great Thou art,
How great Thou art!
2. When through the woods
And forest glades I wander,
And hear the birds
Sing sweetly in the tress;
When I look down,
From lofty mountain grandeur
And hear the brook,
And feel the gentle breeze.
Chorus
3. 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.
Chorus
4. 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 then proclaim
“My God, how great Thou art!

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Memorise: He shall have dominion also from sea to sea, and from the river unto the ends of the earth. Psalm 72:8
Read: Psalm 72:4-9
4 He shall judge the poor of the people, he shall save the children of the needy, and shall break in pieces the oppressor.
5 They shall fear thee as long as the sun and moon endure, throughout all generations.
6 He shall come down like rain upon the mown grass: as showers that water the earth.
7 In his days shall the righteous flourish; and abundance of peace so long as the moon endureth.
8 He shall have dominion also from sea to sea, and from the river unto the ends of the earth.
9 They that dwell in the wilderness shall bow before him; and his enemies shall lick the dust.
Bible in one year: 37-38, Jeremiah 4:19-31

1. Beyond fruitfulness, part of the first mandates of God to mankind is to subdue and have dominion over all creatures He has made. Genesis 1:28 says, “And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.”
2. To dominate is to be in charge or to take control.
3. If God did not want you to take charge, He would not have mandated you to dominate.
4. By the time God stepped into the appalling slavery situation of the Israelites, Pharaoh, who was once in control, became the one begging for help (Exodus 12:30-32). He even asked Moses to pray for him.
5. In that situation where you have been the underdog, God is turning things around and putting you in charge in Jesus’ Name.
6. It is now time for you to suppress your oppressors and tormentors, and to subdue under your feet those who had earlier taken you captive. I command the tables to turn for your good today in Jesus’ Name!
7. Meanwhile, it is good to know that since God has once turned around the situation of the oppressed, He can do it again.
8. Even if nobody has ever had dominion before in your family, it will start with you.
9. Fear not! In Joshua 10:12-14, while fighting the Amorites, the sun was about to set when Joshua interrupted it.
10. The problem is that most of us run from the enemy rather than confront him. David did not run away from the lion, the bear or even Goliath. Rather, he confronted and fought against them all.
11. In January of a particular year, I went to preach in Denver, Colorado. At that time it was very cold, and I don’t like it cold. Maybe that is partly why God made me a Nigerian. I prefer the Nigerian weather. On receiving the invitation, I asked my Daddy if I should go, and He said yes. I asked Him, “What are we going to do about the cold?” God then assured me that He would go with me.  From the first day I arrived until the day I left, people were wearing T-shirt because summer replaced winter. To know that this was not just a coincidence, within two hours after my plane took off at 5pm, more than 10cm of snow fell.
12. You too can tap into God’s mandate to dominate situations and circumstances around you from today.
13. You will dominate sin, your passions, your body and your finances from today in Jesus’ Name.

The word of God is established once it’s spoken. To this end either we function in it or not it stands unchanged. We are fashioned to dominated by God and this dominion cuts across the sea, the air and every living thing that moveth upon the earth. To every child of God who believes, dominion should be our life. This is because Christ has been set in God’s right hand in heavenly places “far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come: And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church.” We are sitting with Christ in dominion over all as stated in the above scripture. Ephesians 2:6 And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. I pray our eyes of understanding shall be enlightened that we may fully dominate here on earth in Jesus name. This is an eye opener and may the vessel through which this revelation came be blessed in Jesus name.

Prayer Point
Father, because it is my season of dominion, please arise and subdue all contrary forces working against me.
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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Memorise: My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: John 10:27
Read: Matthew 25:31-46
31 When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory:
32 And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats:
33 And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.
34 Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:
35 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:
36 Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.
37 Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?
38 When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee?
39 Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?
40 And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.
41 Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:
42 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink:
43 I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not.
44 Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee?
45 Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me.
46 And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.
Bible in one year: Exodus 35-36, Jeremiah 4:3-18

1. “But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”Matthew 10:6
2. The Lord deliberately refers to His own as “sheep”. He affectionately calls them “My sheep”.
3. From the above scripture, we can see that even when He is referring to sinners or those yet to be saved, He calls them the “lost sheep”.
4. The Lord’s parable in Luke 15:3-7 makes it clear that His sheep can get lost. It also illustrates that the shepherd goes looking for the lost sheep until they are found.
5. This means it is possible for sheep to go astray, but when the shepherd goes searching for them, he finds them and brings them back to the fold.
6. In John 21:15-17, in His post-resurrection appearance to Peter, Jesus repeatedly asked to him to feed His sheep and His lambs. A lamb is a baby sheep.
7. Jesus does not pastor goats but sheep. He never said, “Feed my goats.” Never! This is why I tell my children not to call themselves “Pastor’s kids”, because kids are offspring of goats and rams. God has no place for goats.
8. However, in our Bible reading today, you will observe that the sheep and the goats got mixed up together. This is so because wherever the sheep gather, goats would subtly infiltrate their fold (Matthew 13:24-30).
9. This is why some people are heading for Heaven while some others are heading for Hell in the Church.
10. The final separation will take place on the last day.
11. God allows the goats to coexist with the sheep, but on the last day, He will separate them: the sheep will be on His right hand, while the goats will be on the left. He will address them separately and send them to their separate eternal destinations. This is very serious!
12. Furthermore, this co-existence of sheep and goats gives room for pretence. That means the fellow sitting next to you might be a goat pretending to be a sheep. You also might be a goat pretending to be a sheep.
13. This calls for self examination. Jesus gave the criteria for discerning a goat from a sheep in John 10:27. He said: “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:”
14. Do you pass the test of hearing His voice and following in His footsteps? Does He know you?
15. I was telling one of my sons recently how my father in the Lord use to ask me to pray for patience. In those days, when I saw someone not fully complying with what we were taught, I would go to Papa, compelling him to do something about it. He would just ask me to pray for more patience. Today, I understand better.
16. God allows goats and sheep to coexist. Are you a goat or a sheep?

When we follow Christ and we follow His instructions even when no one is there to check or chastise us then we are His. The existing challenge is that devil is firing darts of sin which is disobedience to God’s instructions the way of every child of God and thus turning such child to a lost sheep as he or she backslides. The good news is that His arms are always open wide to receive whoever finds his or her way back to Him. The parable of our Lord Jesus Christ in Matthew 18:12-14 shows that the Lord cherishes His sheep so much that 99 can be left to search for one. If the Holyspirit is ministering to you to retrace your steps why not say yes to this call and go back to the cross like the prodigal son did. It’s never too late for whoever finds his/her way to Him. May God help us in Jesus name. The inspiration from the Holyspirit to write this devotional will never depart from our father in the Lord Pastor E.A Adeboye in Jesus name.

Action Point:
Use the criteria set by Jesus in John 10:27 to judge yourself to whether you are His sheep. If you have strayed from the fold, return to His loving arms and surrender your life to Him.
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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Memorise: Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria, and preached Christ unto them. Acts 8:5
Read: John 4:5-39
5 Then cometh he to a city of Samaria, which is called Sychar, near to the parcel of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph.
6 Now Jacob’s well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied with his journey, sat thus on the well: and it was about the sixth hour.
7 There cometh a woman of Samaria to draw water: Jesus saith unto her, Give me to drink.
8 (For his disciples were gone away unto the city to buy meat.)
9 Then saith the woman of Samaria unto him, How is it that thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria? for the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans.
10 Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water.
11 The woman saith unto him, Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep: from whence then hast thou that living water?
12 Art thou greater than our father Jacob, which gave us the well, and drank thereof himself, and his children, and his cattle?
13 Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again:
14 But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.
15 The woman saith unto him, Sir, give me this water, that I thirst not, neither come hither to draw.
16 Jesus saith unto her, Go, call thy husband, and come hither.
17 The woman answered and said, I have no husband. Jesus said unto her, Thou hast well said, I have no husband:
18 For thou hast had five husbands; and he whom thou now hast is not thy husband: in that saidst thou truly.
19 The woman saith unto him, Sir, I perceive that thou art a prophet.
20 Our fathers worshipped in this mountain; and ye say, that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship.
21 Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father.
22 Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews.
23 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.
24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.
25 The woman saith unto him, I know that Messias cometh, which is called Christ: when he is come, he will tell us all things.
26 Jesus saith unto her, I that speak unto thee am he.
27 And upon this came his disciples, and marvelled that he talked with the woman: yet no man said, What seekest thou? or, Why talkest thou with her?
28 The woman then left her waterpot, and went her way into the city, and saith to the men,
29 Come, see a man, which told me all things that ever I did: is not this the Christ?
30 Then they went out of the city, and came unto him.
31 In the mean while his disciples prayed him, saying, Master, eat.
32 But he said unto them, I have meat to eat that ye know not of.
33 Therefore said the disciples one to another, Hath any man brought him ought to eat?
34 Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work.
35 Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest.
36 And he that reapeth receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit unto life eternal: that both he that soweth and he that reapeth may rejoice together.
37 And herein is that saying true, One soweth, and another reapeth.
38 I sent you to reap that whereon ye bestowed no labour: other men laboured, and ye are entered into their labours.
39 And many of the Samaritans of that city believed on him for the saying of the woman, which testified, He told me all that ever I did.
Bible in one year:Exodus 33-34, Jeremiah 3:11-4:2

1. Jesus is the greatest change agent that ever lived. A genuine encounter with Him always bring about positive change in the life of a person.
2. Not only does this encounter bring about change, it also transform the changed individual into a change agent. In other words, after changing you, the Lord Jesus Christ can use you to change your city.
3. In our Bible reading, we see a woman who had been married and divorced five times, who was then living with a sixth man. At that point, she did not even bother with marriage. After she encountered Jesus, He changed the course of her life, and He used her to change her city. This is quite remarkable!
4. How can you claim to have been born again for 10 years or more, and you have not introduced any level of change into your town or village?
5. No matter how tiny the light may be it will shine in the midst of darkness and overcome it. What impact have you made on your village, community, town or city? How many of your folks know you to be a Christian?
6. A pastor died some time ago, and when his extended family members gathered to plan his burial, some of them thought of burying him the traditional way. His close relatives protested this and had to inform the other family members that he was a pastor.
7. In your village, do people know you to be a born-again Christian? How many of them can say their lives have changed for the better since they encountered Jesus through you?
8. Moreover, if your encounter with Jesus is taken seriously, He can even use you to change your nation.
9. Never underestimate the power of transformation that starts from just one fellow.
10. Most of us are not pulling our weight spiritually in our nations.
11. If you look at the Acts of the Apostles, you will find some change agents that God used to win whole cities and to turn around nations for Christ. Acts 13:43-44 says, “Now when the congregation was broken up, many of the Jews and religious proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas: who, speaking to them, persuaded them to continue in the grace of God. And the next sabbath day came almost the whole city together to hear the word of God.”
12. However, the extent to which God can use you will be determined by the degree of change you have allowed Him to perform in you.
13. It will also depend on your mindset, love for God, level of alignment of God’s desire with yours, and the level of sacrifice you are ready to make.
14. While some people are only leading a few souls to Christ, some others are leading whole cities or nations to Him.
15. How impactful do you want to be?

Brethren today’s article is a big challenge to everyone who falls in the category described by our father in the Lord. It is also a call to service for the dormant children of God. I strongly believe one of the reasons we were left here on earth after being born again is for us to be able to reach out to others who are still in darkness and yet to know of Christ. It is our duty to make disciples of all nations. Reaching your world starts from reaching your immediate environment. Your family members, your neighbours, your colleague, classmates, friends, course mate etc. Starting with these ones is a move of faith and righteousness. It is a spiritual exercise and should be treated as such. Prayerfully win those on your list first before reaching out to them and be sure the Holyspirit will prosper God’s word in their heart. What is required of us is to take that bold step of winning souls and I pray every hindrance to this step is uprooted in Jesus name. We are grateful to God for blessing us with Pastor E.A Adeboye. This devotional is a great blessing to our generation. May he increase in strength and ability in Jesus’ name.

Key Point:
Your heavenly rewards will be determined by you here on earth.
HYMN
Wonderful story of love;
Tell it to me again;
Wonderful story of love;
Wake the immortal strain!
Angels with rapture announce it,
Shepherds with wonder receive it;
Sinner, oh, won’t you believe it?
Wonderful story of love.
Refrain:
Wonderful! Wonderful!
Wonderful, wonderful story of love.
Wonderful story of love;
Though you are far away;
Wonderful story of love;
Still He doth call today;
Calling from Calvary’s mountain,
Down from the crystal-bright fountain,
E’en from the dawn of creation,
Wonderful story of love. Refrain
Wonderful story of love;
Jesus provides a rest;
Wonderful story of love;
For all the pure and blest,
Rest in those mansions above us,
With those who’ve gone on before us,
Singing the rapturous chorus,
Wonderful story of love. Refrain

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