Devotionals

Memorise: I said, Days should speak, and multitude of years should teach wisdom. Job 32:7
Read: 1st Peter 5:1-5
1 The elders which are among you I exhort, who am also an elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed:
2 Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind;
3 Neither as being lords over God’s heritage, but being examples to the flock.
4 And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away.
5 Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble.
Bible in one year: Psalm 17:21, Amos 9

1. One way of avoiding mistakes in life is to learn from the experience of those who have gone ahead of you in faith, business, career or family life.
2. If you learn from the fall of others, you will not meet with the same tragic end that befell them. This is why you need to listen to the advice of elders.
3. Piglets are expected to learn from the mother pig. For this reason, Job 32:7 says, “I said, Days should speak, and multitude of years should teach wisdom.”
4. It is also commonly said that experience is the best teacher. There are several things you will be taught from the school of life when you listen to what the elders the Lord has placed around you have to say.
5. There is a Nigerian proverb that says, “A child may have as many clothes as an elder, but he cannot have as many rags as he. “Learn from those who have trod on the path you are walking on.
6. I had the opportunity of delivering the sermon at the wedding of the daughter of a country’s president not too long ago. I observed that both the girl and her husband were highly educated. I therefore said to them, “Looking at you, I can tell you are both brilliant people, but you are just starting a journey into marriage, a journey I have been engaged in for about 47 years, and as a result, I have one or two things to teach you.” It is very important that you listen to your elders. Are you newly married? I have two equations to keep you going – one: love is blind, and two: marriage is a miracle – worker with special anointing for opening blind eyes. When you solve these two equations simultaneously, the answer you will get is this: Love is blind but marriage will open its eyes.
7. Beloved, never shun the advice of an elder!
8. Apart from your biological elders, your pastors and senior pastors are also elders. Except when they asked you to veer off the path of righteousness, please listen to them and follow their good advice.
9. If you have a godly, humble heart, it will be easy to listen to elders.
10. Can you believe that some people do not listen to their elders because they want to be in-charge of their lives? They erroneously believe that if they listen to elders, they will lose control of their lives.
11. Righteous elders will want to guide you on God’s holy path and ensure you reach your goal.
12. Be wise today!

Wisdom belongs to the aged, and understanding to the old. Job 12:12 Our father in Lord is a great blessing to our generation. He draws out of his well of experience to exhort and encourage us often. Most occasions, our faith is stired up because God that did it then can do it even now. God bless Pastor E.A Adeboye in Jesus name.

Prayer Point
Father, thank You for all the elders in the Body of Christ; please use them to provide righteous counsel for our youths, so that together we can all make Heaven.
HYMN
Verse 1:
God give us Christian homes!
Homes where the Bible is loved and taught,
Homes where the Master’s will is sought,
Homes crowned with beauty
Thy love hath wrought;
God give us Christian homes;
God give us Christian homes!
Verse 2:
God give us Christian homes!
Homes where the father is true and strong,
Homes that are free from the blight of wrong,
Homes that are joyful with love and song;
God give us Christian homes;
God give us Christian homes!
Verse 3:
God give us Christian homes!
Homes where the mother, in caring quest,
Strives to show others Thy way is best,
Homes where the Lord is an honored guest;
God give us Christian homes;
God give us Christian homes!
Verse 4:
God give us Christian homes!
Homes where the children are led to know
Christ in His beauty who loves them so,
Homes where the altar fires burn and glow;
God give us Christian homes;
God give us Christian homes!
 

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20

Memorise: For who maketh thee to differ from another? and what hast thou that thou didst receive? Now if thou didst receive it, why dost thou glory, as if thou hadst not received it? 1st Corinthians 4:7
Read: Proverbs 3:9-10
9 Honour the Lord with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase:
10 So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine.
Bible in one year: Psalm 9:16, Amos 8

1. In our Bible reading, we are enjoined to honour the Lord with our first fruits.
2. What does the word ‘honour’ really mean? Honour can be viewed from the perspective of giving a person something he or she doesn’t really need.
3. We see a manifestation of this in the academia. When universities or colleges want to give honorary degrees, they look for people who don’t need money, academic qualifications or any such things, and they honour them with a degree. This is why it is called an honorary degree. They give such degrees to eminent personalities, people of proven abilities and achievers in different fields.
4. This is comparable to the way God operates.
5. What money can you give to the One who created the heavens and the earth? What can you give to the One who owns all silver and gold? He says to us, “If you come to the city where I reside, what is most precious to you on earth is what the streets are made of. So what do you want to give me that I don’t have already? “Therefore, whatever we think we can give to God can only reasonably be given in honour of Him.
6. “For who maketh thee to differ from another? and what hast thou that thou didst not receive? Now if thou didst receive it, why dost thou glory, as if thou hadst not received it?” 1st Corinthians 4:7 When we speak about giving God something, is it really so? What do we have that we have not received from Him?
7. If we have indeed received all we have from Him, it clearly shows that we are simply giving back to Him out of what He gave us.
8. When we were still living in my first house in the Redemption Camp, my little children held a meeting in a room one Christmas season, and they sent the youngest, who was about four years old then, to ask me what I wanted for Christmas. I said I would like a jet. He said they weren’t proposing that kind of gift, and so I asked for a pen. He ran back to the room to meet the others, and he later came back to me asking me to lend him N10. I gave it to him without asking what he wanted it for because I knew its purpose. So at Christmas time, I got a beautifully wrapped gift. Even though I knew what was inside because it was bought with my money, I still gathered my children round to hug them, just for even thinking of giving me something at that tender age.
9. This mirrors the relationship between God and His children.
10. How often do you honour God?

“Father, grant me the grace to honour You in all I do, all the days of my life.” This prayer Point should be prayed with all sincerity so that we might receive answer to it. Whatever we do in words, works or money should be in honour of God and to His glory alone. He is God all by Himself and cannot be mocked. When You Love the Lord then, it becomes easy to honour Him with your all. Whatever you give to Him, He multiplies and give back to you. “Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment.” Matthew 22:37‭-‬38. May God bless and uphold Pastor E.A Adeboye in Jesus name.

Prayer Point
Father, grant me the grace to honour You in all I do, all the days of my life.
HYMN
ake 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: Art not thou our God, who didst drive out the inhabitants of this land before thy people Israel, and gavest it to the seed of Abraham thy friend for ever? 2nd Chronicles 20:7
Read: Genesis 18:17-22
17 And the Lord said, Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do;
18 Seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him?
19 For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the Lord, to do justice and judgment; that the Lord may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him.
20 And the Lord said, Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grievous;
21 I will go down now, and see whether they have done altogether according to the cry of it, which is come unto me; and if not, I will know.
22 And the men turned their faces from thence, and went toward Sodom: but Abraham stood yet before the Lord.
Bible in one year: Psalm 1-8, Amos 7

1. When you read through 2nd Kings 2:1-7, you will notice that Elijah, Elisha and the sons of the prophets in Bethel, Jericho and Jordan were all very much aware of Elijah’s transition to glory and the day it was scheduled to take place. In fact, they even treated the knowledge of this event like an open secret.
2. One lesson from this is that if you walk in the spirit, significant events will be common knowledge to you.
3. God has secrets (Proverbs 25:2). There are certain things known only to Him, which He may want to share with men once in a while. Daniel 2:22 says, “He revealeth the deep and secret things: he knoweth what is in the darkness, and the light dwelleth with him.”
4. In as much as God wants to share with men, if He looks around and finds no one qualified by His grace for such secrets, He will simply keep it to Himself. “Surely the Lord GOD will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets.” Amos 3:7
5. When you have a closely guarded secret, do you tell everyone on the street about it? I very much doubt you would do that. Rather, you will want to keep it to yourself, and even if you would tell anyone at all, it will be someone who is not only close to you, but who is also trustworthy enough in keeping secrets
6.Who are those God will share His secrets with? It is His servants!
7. If you are not getting divine information regarding crucial future events, it is most likely that you need to correct certain aspects of your service.
8. When you serve the Lord, He will share some of His secrets with you.
9. The more you serve Him, the more you have future information ahead of time.
10. Also, you must be His friend.
11. Abraham was God’s friend, and so, when God was about to destroy Sodom and He realised that Abraham’s nephew, Lot, and his family were there, the Lord told Abraham about it. This gave Abraham the privilege and opportunity to intercede for them.
12. Are you a friend of Jesus Christ? What is the level of closeness you share with Him? Friends communicate a lot. Do you often hear God’s voice? How often does He speak to you using various means of communication?
13. You become His closest friend by serving Him like never before, and He will not leave you in the dark concerning your tomorrow and that of your family.

Access to classified divine information is the right of every genuine Christian. It depends one the kind of relationship you have with the almighty God. Many believers still fail to understand the significance of the Holy Spirit in their lives. What eyes has not seen is delivered unto His own through the Holy Spirit.1 Corinthian  2:9 . No wonder Jesus stressed to His disciples before He left ” “I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.” ‭John‬ ‭16:12-13‬ ‭KJV‬‬. In other words, several secrets were not told by Jesus which are available by the help of the Holy Spirit today. Following the question asked by Pastor E.A ADEBOYE “Who are those God will share His secrets with? What will be your response? May God help us. God be praised forever more for Pastor E.A Adeboye and may he wax stronger in Jesus name.

Key Point
When your relationship with God moves up to the friendship level, access to divine secrets will become a regular benefit to you.
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: The fear of the LORD prolongeth days: but the years of the wicked shall be shortened. Proverb 10:27
Read: Ephesians 1:3-6
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:
4 According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:
5 Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,
6 To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.
Bible in one year: Job 39-42, Amos 5:18-6:14

1. If you are born again, you can connect with God’s destiny for your life.
2. God has a plan for every being He has made, but those who refuse to receive His Lordship will be unable to connect to His plan and purpose for their lives.
3. In other words, sin is a separator that can disconnect the sinner from his or her God-given destiny.
4. One truth you must recognise however is that the fulfilment of your destiny is in God’s hands and also in your hands. To this end, Proverbs 10:27 says, “The fear of the LORD prolongeth days: but the years of the wicked shall be shortened.”
5. Although you have a specific number of years allotted to you on earth, your ability to fear God, obey Him and make Him happy will not only help you to fulfil your years, these can also help you to increase the number of your years, just as it happened to King Hezekiah (2nd Kings 20:5-6). In contrast, if you decide to live recklessly, the number of your years can be cut short (Psalm 34:16).
6. The implication of this is that you can shorten or lengthen your years on earth depending on how you live your life.
7. Long before the foundation of this world was laid, God had chosen us in Christ (Ephesians 1:4). No wonder Jeremiah was told by the Lord that  what he would become on earth had already been decided before he was born (Jeremiah 1:4-5).
8. Do not however misconstrue God’s plan for you. According to Jeremiah 29:11, He has beautiful plans for you. These plans include your shinning as light and bringing healing to your world as salt of the earth (Matthew 5:13-16).
9. Believe it or not, part of His plan is for you to continue from where He stopped on earth in relation to His miraculous works (John 14:12).
10. Furthermore, some level of momentary suffering is allowed for you as part of His plans (1st Peter 2:21). In fact, if you will be glorified with Christ, you must be prepared to also suffer with Him (2nd Timothy 2:21).
11. It is also part of God’s plan for you to be a joint-heir with Jesus Christ (Romans 8:17). This means that you are not as poor as you think you are. Everything God has belongs to Jesus Christ, and you are a co-heir to that inheritance (John 16:15).
12. Apart from these, it is part of your destiny to forever live with Jesus in all eternity (John 14:3).
13. Having known all these truths, it is important for you to daily thank God for His glorious plans for you and live your life in consonance with your divine destiny in Christ.

“See, I have set before thee this day life and good, and death and evil; In that I command thee this day to love the Lord thy God, to walk in his ways, and to keep his commandments and his statutes and his judgments, that thou mayest live and multiply: and the Lord thy God shall bless thee in the land whither thou goest to possess it.” Deuteronomy 30:15‭-‬16 God clearly tells us what He wants us His children to do. He states categorically what is right and what is wrong and tell us to do that which is right. “I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live:” Deuteronomy 30:19 Ironically so many believers goes the wrong way an this in turn results to death. This death atimes is physical and spiritual. However whatever form it is in, we can avoid it if we are on the Lord’s side. It is therefore wise for us to go the Lord’s way and remain on God’s side. God bless Pastor E.A Adeboye in Jesus name

Prayer Point
Father, let every good thing that is part of my destiny begin to manifest in my life from today!
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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20

Memorise: And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. Genesis 1:26
Read: Genesis 1:26-27
26 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.
27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.
Bible in one year:  Job 36-38, Amos 5:1-17

1. From the creation story, the fact that man was the last of God’s creation, though he is the most significant, indicates that God can give you the very best at the end. From this we understand that the end of believers is glorious. No wonder Ecclesiastes 7:8 says, “Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof: and the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit.”
2. You might have started on a shaky note, but I want to assure you that you will end up being well established. Your faith may be very weak now, but it will become great faith at the end.
3. Never judge your future by the limitations of your present!
4. God will help you overcome those obstacles and limitations and He will safely take you to your glorious end. Indeed, Job 8:7 says you might have started small, but you will end with great increase, provided you sustain blossoming relationship with God.
5. In addition, we observed from the account of creation in Genesis chapter 1 that when God was making all other things, He did not call a council meeting, but when it came to the creation of man, a council meeting of the Godhead was called. They all had to be in agreement for man to be created.
6. The implication of this is that to get the best from God, man must be in total unity and alignment with Him.
7. Also, we will be wise to follow the pattern demonstrated by the Godhead in all our decisions.
8. Some issues are more sensitive and volatile than others.
9. There is a time to take a unilateral decision on issues, and there is also a time to consult widely and take a joint decision.
10. Lastly, when it comes to the issue of human management, you would need to go to God for help.
11. Why? Human beings are the most difficult resource to handle. They are very diverse in thought, knowledge and understanding, and so their responses to issues are so divergent and vast. Human beings are also unreliable; it’s no wonder Jesus did not commit Himself to any man. John 2:24-25 says, “But Jesus did not commit himself unto them, because he knew all men, And needed not that any should testify of man: for he knew what was in man.”
12. If you will succeed in leading men and women, you must involve God to a large extent.
13. How well are you managing fellow men?

Any genuine believer should should understand the importance of consulting with God in every situation. No wonder the Bible says ““Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.” Isaiah‬ ‭1:18‬ ‭KJV‬‬. Reasoning with the most High for every decision is gateway to successful journey in life. His plan for you is never evil but living outside His plans is catastrophic. May God help us. May God bless Pastor E.A Adeboye and equip him with greater wisdom for greater works in Jesus name.

Key Point
To effectively lead men, you must be connected to the One who made man.
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: If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master’s use, and prepare unto every good work. 2nd Timothy 2:21
Read: 2nd Timothy 2:19-21
19 Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity.
20 But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honour, and some to dishonour.
21 If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master’s use, and prepared unto every good work.
Bible in one year: Job 33-35, Amos 4:4-13

1. In Isaiah 6:1-8, Isaiah saw the Lord and this opened his eyes to see himself the way he truly was before God. As the brightness of God’s presence illuminated every aspect of his life, he had no choice but to seek divine assistance, and as he cried for help, God sent an angel to purify his unclean lips with a coal of fire.
2. When you see Jesus, you become a candidate for purification. Purification is essential because without being purged by God, your faithfulness will be hampered (John 15:2). In other words, the more God refines you, the more likely He will use you for greater works.
3. Many of us quote John 14:12 and claim that because we believe in Jesus, we automatically qualify for greater works. However, the truth is, there can be no greater works without divine refinement.
4. God does not use unclean vessels for His work.
5. If He has chosen you for an assignment and you come to the realisation of how unfit you are for the work, it is because He wants you to be challenged, and He also wants you to ask for His purging and cleansing.
6. “But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver but also of wood and of earthly; and some to honour, and some to dishonour.” 2nd Timothy 2:20 It is not enough to be a vessel unto God.
7. You should ensure that you are a vessel used for honourable purposes. Beyond this, 2nd Timothy 2:21 tells us that being purified is crucial to being used of God, and that although God may have His ways of purifying us, we also have a personal responsibility to purge ourselves.
8. You have to put in considerable effort to purge yourself. Those carnal habits you have must go! Anger and malice must go! Little lies must go! Get rid of hypocrisy! Fruitfulness in soul-winning must go!
9. The more you purge yourself, the more you will be a candidate for more and greater works.
10. Don’t ever think that there is no more work to be done in the Kingdom.
11. There is so much work yet to be done, and although the labourers are increasing in number, those purified and set apart for God’s use are few.
12. Are you prepared to make yourself ready for God’s use?
13. There are a few believers who have purged themselves and are prepared for any assignment God has for them; God will use such vessels to do just about anything, even as He bypasses many other vessels that are not pure enough for His use.
14. Do all you can to be a pure and prepared vessel for God!

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. Psalms 24:3‭-‬4 Having clean hands and pure heart is required to stand before God. David recognised this hence Psalm 51 and other songs he wrote in Psalm asking for purity and forgiveness. Every little foxes that spoil the vineyard should be eradicated to fulfil our call blameless and successfully. I are daily refreshed as we study the Open Heavens devotional. May God bless Pastor E.A Adeboye for this great insight into the word of God.

Key Point
Purity makes a vessel usable for any assignment.
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: And when they had fasted and prayed, and laid their hands on them, they sent them away. Acts 13:3
Read: Acts 13:1-3
1 Now there were in the church that was at Antioch certain prophets and teachers; as Barnabas, and Simeon that was called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manaen, which had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul.
2 As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them.
3 And when they had fasted and prayed, and laid their hands on them, they sent them away.
Bible in one year: Job 30:32, Amos 3:3-4:3

1. Just before He began His earthly ministry, our Lord Jesus Christ embarked on a 40-day fast.
2. According to Matthew 4:1-2, He was led by the Holy Spirit into this exercise.
3. Do you allow the Holy Spirit to lead you? Has He ever led you to do some fasting before? If He has, did you simply obey Him, or did you make excuses as to why you couldn’t fast?
4. From the experience of the Lord Jesus Christ, we can see that fasting is necessary to equip us for the work of the ministry.
5. When God commits a specific assignment into your hands, do you make out time to seek His face through fasting and prayer, or do you just jump into the assignment without necessarily seeking His direction, assistance, wisdom, protection and grace to succeed on the assignment?
6. If you seek Him for assistance, it shows you realise your limitations and recognise that it is only through His power you can succeed in the assignment.
7. In any case, Jesus clearly told us that we cannot do anything the way it should be done without Him (John 15:5).
8. If we fail to seek His face, it shows we have confidence in ourselves, believing that we do not need Him to help us on the job.
9. Beloved, you cannot do any divine assignment the way you are expected to do it without the backing of the One who sent you.
10. From today, never embark on any assignment, be it spiritual or secular, without first seeking God’s face in fasting and prayer!
11. In addition, when people are being prepared for the work of ministry, prayer and fasting are needed to equip spiritually. This was practiced in the early Church. Acts 13:3 says, “And when they had fasted and prayed, and laid their hands on them, they sent them away.”
12. When some prophets and teachers gathered themselves together to minister to God, the Holy Spirit selected Paul and Barnabas from their midst, to take the gospel to other nations. What did they do after this? They took time to pray and fast with them before releasing them to go and do the work. 
13. Even today, fasting is still needed to equip the various levels of the Church workforce.
14. From the level of foundational classes for young coverts and above, we should encourage praying and fasting as a means of equipping the saints for the assignment ahead of them.

“You cannot do any divine assignment the way you are expected to do it without the backing of the One who sent you.” This statement is deep and it should be meditated upon for necessary correction. And when he was come into the house, his disciples asked him privately, Why could not we cast him out? And he said unto them, This kind can come forth by nothing, but by prayer and fasting. Mark 9:28‭-‬29 We need total submission to the leading of God through the Holy Spirit for a stress free and successful delivery of assignments given to us by God. Ignorance is an enemy of progress but thank God for vessels like Pastor E.A Adeboye who through the Spirit’s guiding wrote the Open Heavens devotional to enlighten and guide us daily. May God continually uphold and renew his strength in Jesus name.

Action Point
Any good thing that you are to embark on must first be subjected to prayer and fasting.
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.
Action Point

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Memorise: I will call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised; so shall I be saved from mine enemies. Psalm 18:3
Read: Revelation 5:11-13
11 And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands;
12 Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing.
13 And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb forever and ever.
Bible in one year: Job 25-29, Amos 2:4-3:2

1. Giving is a common and crucial activity that every serious minded believer in Christ should regularly engage in.
2. The wise believer would hear this and flow with it, but those who think they are ‘smart’ will hear and ignore it to their own undoing. Luke 6:38 say that you should give and it shall be given to you.
3. Have you ever asked yourself who benefits when you give to God? Can you make God richer by giving to the owner of the universe? Can you add to the owner of silver and gold by giving to Him? Everything you have, you receive from Him (1st Corinthians 4:7).
4. You are the one who gains from giving to God. When you refuse to give, who loses? The Holy Spirit answers that question in Proverbs 11:24: “There is that scattereth, and yet increaseth; and there is that withholdeth more than is meet, but it tendeth to poverty.”
5. If you fail to give, you are the one who loses. Why? Your giving determines how far you go in life.
6. Overflowing abundance is a product of sacrificial giving. If you have been sowing sacrificially to God and His Kingdom but you have not yet reached the level of swimming in abundance, you should be celebrated. Why? It is because you are not likely to die until God pays you back in full. The One who said we should owe no man cannot afford to owe you.
7. Moreover, when you praise God, who gains? Can your praises add to Him in reality? In Psalm 18:1-3, David said several things about who God was to him. He said God is worthy to be praised, because he realised that when he praised God, he got delivered from his enemies. In other words, refusing to praise God would have resulted in him becoming a casualty in the hands of his enemies. So who loses if you refuse to praise God?
8. Today’s Bible reading talks about God’s mass choir in Heaven. It says the size is something like 100 trillion. If God has such a great choir of angels and saved souls worshipping Him, what difference will adding or subtracting your voice from it make? Do you think that God will miss your voice?
9. Therefore, who gains from worshipping and praising God? It is you!
10. Every time God demands that we give something to Him, it is for our own good and not His. Only the fellow who wants to deceive himself or herself will think otherwise.

No sane person will see a clear and smooth road but choose to walk in the bush. The Lord has laid down certain instructions that if followed it’s a upward and forward course for the believer that opens. Why do otherwise then? Today’s devotional made it clear that giving to God does not add to Him but us. Doing His word is great wisdom! God be praised for Pastor E.A Adeboye. May his strength be renewed in Jesus name.

Action Point
Serve and worship God because your life, joy and peace depend on it.
HYMN
1. O LORD my God! When I in awesome wonder
Consider all the works Thy hand hath made; 
I see the stars, I hear the mighty thunder, 
Thy pow’r throughout the universe displayed:
Chorus:
Then sings 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 trees;
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 shall I bow in humble adoration, 
And there proclaim, my God how great Thou art!
Chorus.

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Memorise: If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are. 1st Corinthians 3:17
Read: 1st Corinthians 3:16-17
16 Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?
17 If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.
Bible in one year: Job 21-24, Amos 1:1-2:3

1. God is both the God of love and a consuming fire (1st John 4:8, Hebrews 12:29).
2. He is extreme in His love for mankind, and He can also be extreme in His judgment. This is why you must never take Him for granted.
3. All over the world, there is resurgence in the doctrine of eternal security. This doctrine says that once you are saved, no matter what you do, your salvation is forever intact. This is one of the deceptive pills that the devil uses to drown souls forever in Hell in these last days. You shall not fall a victim of this in Jesus’ Name!
4. Today, many people are not taking the totality of God’s word into consideration while interpreting scriptures that talk about God’s grace. Such people believe that grace is devoid of responsibility. Ephesians 2:8 says we are saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ and I am in total agreement with this.
5. Also, 1st Corinthians 15:10 says that whatever we are and whatever we become is by the grace of God, and I also totally agree with this. But beyond these, some people further believe that works are not necessary any more or else it won’t be grace. This is a lie!
6.  Philippians 2:12 says after being saved by grace, you must work out your salvation with fear and trembling. Did 2nd Timothy 2:22 not command us to flee from youthful lust? In fact, 1st Corinthians 3:17 says, “If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.”
7. In other words, after being saved, you become a holy temple for God to dwell in. If you then go back into sin, God will bring His judgement on you. This too was written by the apostle of grace.
8. Beloved, never play with sin! Don’t joke with backsliding!
9. Wounds can heal but the scars would remain as a reminder. The scarred flesh is never like the original.
10. A scar is a dent on the body.
11. It disfigures and distorts the fine form and beauty of the body. If you have a scar somewhere on your body and somebody looks at you there, the scar will be the very first thing they will see.
12. When the prodigal son returned home, he was well received, and a feast was held in his honour, but he had lost his inheritance! He returned as a disenchanted son.
13. After David sinned with Bathsheba and killed her husband, he later realised his evil, confessed it and was forgiven and restored to full fellowship with God; yet, the sword never departed from his house ever since!
14. You can avoid scars!
15. Live right before God and obey Him in all you do, and he will guide you to avoid the pits the devil has dug to orchestrate your fall.

When you tear a paper and put it together with gum or celotape, it can never be the same as it was before it was torn. Blessed be God for the gift of righteousness through Christ Jesus. It is only through Him we can exprience a life free of the bondage of sin. Let us open up to His leading daily and we shall be free from iniquity. May God continually uphold Pastor E.A Adeboye in Jesus name.

Prayer Point
Foolish people bring avoidable and unnecessary sufferings on themselves. Father, please give me a wise heart to avoid pitfalls.
HYMN
I have decided to follow Jesus;
I have decided to follow Jesus;
I have decided to follow Jesus;
No turning back, no turning back.
Though none go with me,
I still will follow;
Though none go with me,
I still will follow;
Though none go with me,
I still will follow;
No turning back, no turning back.
My cross I’ll carry, till I see Jesus;
My cross I’ll carry, till I see Jesus;
My cross I’ll carry, till I see Jesus;
No turning back, no turning back.
The world behind me,
The cross before me;
The world behind me, the cross before me;
The world behind me,
The cross before me;
No turning back, no turning back.

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Memorise: And they shall go into the holes of the rocks, and into the caves of the earth, for fear of the LORD, and for the glory of his majesty, when he ariseth to shake terribly the earth. Isaiah 2:19
Read: Isaiah 2:18-22
18 And the idols he shall utterly abolish.
19 And they shall go into the holes of the rocks, and into the caves of the earth, for fear of the Lord, and for the glory of his majesty, when he ariseth to shake terribly the earth.
20 In that day a man shall cast his idols of silver, and his idols of gold, which they made each one for himself to worship, to the moles and to the bats;
21 To go into the clefts of the rocks, and into the tops of the ragged rocks, for fear of the Lord, and for the glory of his majesty, when he ariseth to shake terribly the earth.
22 Cease ye from man, whose breath is in his nostrils: for wherein is he to be accounted of ?
Bible in one year: Job 17-20, Joel 3

1. The Almighty God is not only a God of love and mercy but also a God to be feared.
2. One reason why you ought to fear Him is that He can not only bless you, but He can also turn your blessing into a curse.
3. In Malachi 2:2, something went amiss among the priests and God had this to say: “If ye will not hear, and if ye will not lay it to heart, to give glory unto my name, saith the LORD of hosts, I will even send a curse upon you, and I will curse your blessings: yea, I have cursed them already, because ye do not lay it to heart”
4. When you refuse to ascribe to God the glory due to His Name, or when you do not use the blessing God has given you to glorify Him, you may be provoking Him to turn that blessing into a curse. May God not curse your blessings in Jesus’ Name! This is why you must do all that is within your power to obey God always.
5. Many years ago, a young man came to me saying that he needed a major breakthrough. Then I asked him, “Will you serve the Lord?” He chorused with enthusiasm, “I will serve Him!” So I told the Lord, “Almighty God, see this young, zealous man who is ready to serve you. Please bless him.” Some days later, he returned to me with excitement and said, “Sir, my landlord has a house with 13 flats for sale. He says I can sell the property for any price; all he is asking me to give him is a particular amount that is less than half its worth!” So I said to him, “Congratulations! Your breakthrough has come at last. How many flats are there again?” “Thirteen”, he replied. Then I said to him, “That means you will give one flat to God as your tithe.” At this, he got angry and said, “This is the trouble with you pastors! This is the reason why people should not even share their testimonies with you!” So I asked him to forgive me. He said, “This is my very first breakthrough”, and I replied, “I am sorry sir”, and he left. He thereafter sold the house to a prospective buyer, and he took the amount he earlier agreed with the landlord to him. The landlord looked at him strangely and said, “Which house did you sell?” “The house at plot so and so sir”, he replied. The landlord said to him, “Did I ever ask you to sell that house?” “Yes sir, you did, and you asked me to bring so much for it”, he replied. The landlord then yelled, “You think you can use your black magic on me, right? If you don’t leave here now, both you and your witchdoctor will face the music!” The young man returned to me, saying he was now ready to do what I asked, but I said to him, “Leave me out of this. It is strictly between you and God. Go and settle with Him.”
6. Are you prepared to honour God with the blessings He has given you?

Lord have mercy! Our blessings will never get cursed in Jesus name. Amen! If you said amen to the above prayer then you should work earnestly towards staying blessed on a continuous basis. We should ascribe to God that which is due Him as and when due. We should cultivate the habit of doing God’s will and find it easy to give anything to Him regardless of how much we cherish it. God be praised for Pastor E.A Adeboye in Jesus name.

Action Point
God has had to shut some doors because the beneficiaries were not ready to do what He wanted them to do with the open doors.
HYMN
1. O LORD my God! When I in awesome wonder
Consider all the works Thy hand hath made; 
I see the stars, I hear the mighty thunder, 
Thy pow’r throughout the universe displayed:
Chorus:
Then sings 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 trees;
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 shall I bow in humble adoration, 
And there proclaim, my God how great Thou art!
Chorus.

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