Devotionals

Memorise: Then said Paul, I wist not, brethren, that he was the high priest: for it is written, Thou shalt not speak evil of the ruler of thy people. Act 23:5
Read: Acts 23:1-5 (KJV)
1 And Paul, earnestly beholding the council, said, Men and brethren, I have lived in all good conscience before God until this day.
2 And the high priest Ananias commanded them that stood by him to smite him on the mouth.
3 Then said Paul unto him, God shall smite thee, thou whited wall: for sittest thou to judge me after the law, and commandest me to be smitten contrary to the law?
4 And they that stood by said, Revilest thou God’s high priest?
5 Then said Paul, I wist not, brethren, that he was the high priest: for it is written, Thou shalt not speak evil of the ruler of thy people.
Bible in one year: Ezra 4-6, Ezekiel 42:15-43:12

1. A sign that confirms whether or not you have experienced genuine salvation is your willingness to make restitution with your fellow men.
2. When you are genuinely saved, the Spirit of Jesus Christ in you will motivate you to right your wrongs and undo your evil deeds.
3. An elderly judge once attended one of our meetings at the Sheraton Hotels, Ikeja (Lagos), and he gave his life to Christ. On his way home after the programme, he just could not contain himself. There was a person he quarrelled with several years before, and he had a burning urge to resolve the dispute; so right from the venue of our programme, he went straight to the house of the person in order to settle the matter.
4. Did you say you are saved, but you still hold grudges, have bitterness and manifest an unforgiving spirit? Please examine yourself to be sure you are truly in Christ.
5. Similarly, there was a particular king in Ogun State, Nigeria. For several months, I went to preach to him and he would tell me “Before your mother married your father, I have been going to church.” He would show me a Bible that Queen Victoria gave to his grandfather. Repeatedly, I said to him, “Your royal highness, that is not what I am talking about. I am asking you to repent of your sins and surrender your life to Jesus Christ.” Then one day, he yielded and gave his life to Jesus. By that time, he had not seen his wife for years, due to a disagreement they had. Within days of giving his life to Christ, he promptly contacted her, and they resolved their differences.
6. You cannot be genuinely saved and refuse to restitute.
7. In what areas would you need to make restitution today?
8. If you stole anything from anybody, return it or pay for its replacement if it’s lost.
9. If you bore false witness against somebody, go and uncover the truth.
10. Have you fraudulently acquired your academic certificate? Go and restitute.
11. If you have stolen another person’s passport and impersonated the fellow, using the passport to move around, go and restitute.
12. Are you a second or third wife to a man, or have you as a man married two or more wives? You are living in adultery. Make restitution!
13. Have you received payment for a contract which you did not execute? Go and return the money!
14. Have you been falsifying records and stealing money through that? Go and restitute.
15. If you have tough cases, seek counselling from a pastor in a true Bible-believing church.
16. Also, ask God to help you. If you really want to obey God, He will definitely make a way for you.

Restitution is a sign of total submission to God. You ordinarily become uncomfortable with things that are not in line with God’s will. It therefore becomes your desire to willingly correct every mistake of the past. Regardless of how hard or difficult it seems, when we ask for the help of God, it becomes easy. God help us as we decide to restitute in Jesus name. God bless Pastor E.A Adeboye in Jesus name.

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

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20

Memorise: Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name. Psalm 100:4
Read: Mark 5:21-24
21 And when Jesus was passed over again by ship unto the other side, much people gathered unto him: and he was nigh unto the sea.
22 And, behold, there cometh one of the rulers of the synagogue, Jairus by name; and when he saw him, he fell at his feet,
23 And besought him greatly, saying, My little daughter lieth at the point of death: I pray thee, come and lay thy hands on her, that she may be healed; and she shall live.
24 And Jesus went with him; and much people followed him, and thronged him.
Bible in one year: Ezra 1-3, Ezekiel 42:1-14

1. How you approach a house will determine whether you will be welcomed or chased out. If you approach the door and knock, you will be attended to as a lady or a gentleman, but if you decided to break through the window, you will surely be taken for a burglar, thief or robber and met with several resistance.
2. Your approach matters! In the same vein, to enter into God’s presence, you must follow heaven’s protocol.
3. The Holy Spirit in Psalm 100:4 revealed this protocol when He said: “Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.”
4. If you want to be welcomed into God’s presence and have your requests granted, don’t just crash in, follow heaven’s protocol!
5. Let your heart and mouth be full of thanks for all God has done for you, your family and your loved ones.
6. When you approach God, let Him first hear your thanksgiving. Let this be followed by quality praise and worship.
7. Let your request come last, and let the time you use in making your request be shorter than the time you spent giving Him thanks, praise and worship.
8. Whenever you violate this order, you do damage your requests and hurt your relationship with the lover of your soul – the Almighty God Himself.
9. Moreover, you may want to ask: Why must I approach God with reverence, thanksgiving and praise? It is because worshippers always get what they want.
10. In Matthew 8:1-3, a leper approached Jesus, fell at His feet and worshipped Him, even before he made his request. In the end, he was cleansed.
11. What of the mad man of Gadara whose story is recorded in Mark 5:1-15? As mad as he was, after approaching Jesus, he knew enough to fall down at His feet to worship Him. For this reason, even without verbalising his desire to be delivered from the demonic siege he was under, Jesus set him free.
12. Effective worship works wonders!
13. Jairus was a top leader in Israel, and yet, when his daughter was seriously sick and he approached Jesus, he forgot about his position, power and wealth, fell at the Master’s feet and worshipped Him.
14. Also, when the woman whose daughter was tormented by demons came to the Lord expressing her need, the Lord ignored her; but when she began to worship Him, the tide turned (Matthew 15:21-28).
15. From today, follow heaven’s protocol in approaching God and you will get your heart’s desires.

Our Lord Jesus Christ knows the importance of thanksgiving and reverencing God. His gratitude to God is always expressed during His earthly ministry. Praise is powerful, prophetic and it is door opener. Phillipians 4:6- Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. May God continually increase Pastor E.A Adeboye in Jesus name.

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

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20

Memorise: for by wise counsel thou shalt make thy war: and in multitude of counsellors there is safety. Proverbs 24:6
Read: Luke 15:11-16
11 And he said, A certain man had two sons:
12 And the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the portion of goods that falleth to me. And he divided unto them his living.
13 And not many days after the younger son gathered all together, and took his journey into a far country, and there wasted his substance with riotous living.
14 And when he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine in that land; and he began to be in want.
15 And he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country; and he sent him into his fields to feed swine.
16 And he would fain have filled his belly with the husks that the swine did eat: and no man gave unto him.
Bible in one year: 2nd Chronicles 35-36, Ezekiel 41:12-26

1. In life, some people experience provision before they ever need it, while some get provision just in the nick of time. Some others only get the provision they need after the time of need is past.
2. One Bible character who experienced provision before need is the prodigal son in today’s Bible reading. All he would ever need was already provided for and safely kept by his father. Nevertheless, what was his responses to his father’s wisdom and grace? He foolishly asked for all that was his, and he wastefully spent it all. Luke 15:13 says, “And not many days after the younger son gathered all together, and took his journey into a far country, and there wasted his substance with riotous living.”
3. May you never waste God’s provision for your life!
4. There are so many people who engage in wasteful spending.
5. There are some people God has blessed with the funds to buy a piece of land, which they can develop as God enables them, but they use the provision to acquire a flashy car or attempt to live ‘big’ while they are still in a rented apartment. This amounts to foolishness.
6. There are some youths who get some big money from legitimate ventures, but because they had no financial intelligence and never sought counsel, they wasted it and struggled thereafter. “If the iron be blunt, and he do not whet the edge, then must he put to more strength: but wisdom is profitable to direct.” Ecclesiastes 10:10
7. To manage financial provision, you need wisdom. In fact, the scripture above says that you can get results from a cutlass whether it is sharp or blunt; the difference is that wisdom helps you make the best decisions to obtain the best results.
8. If you have financial wisdom, you would avoid wasteful spending and increase whatever you have.
9. Do you have financial resources beyond what you need for the moment? Ask God for wisdom to manage it. Also, ask for guidance.
10. Follow the counsel in today’s memory’s verse: ask those who know better. Ask from experienced fund managers and people skilled in financial investments.
11. More importantly, find out from God, the provider of that provision, what the purpose of the provision is. If you can diligently ask Him, He will guide you on how to spend it in such a way as to guarantee repeated provision.
12. You do not need to spend on every item you see or like. Humbly surrender your desires to God and let Him reign over them.

The word of God is complete, perfect and accurate for and in every situation. It is the manual from which every believer should live and operate from. But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them; And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works. 2 Timothy 3:14‭-‬17. The key to great success and eternal life is strict adherence to instructions from God as revealed in the scripture and through the Holy Spirit. We are grateful to God for blessing us with Pastor E.A Adeboye who through the Holy Spirit is feeding us with the word of truth daily. May God renew his strength daily in Jesus name.

Key Point
You can completely avoid wastage when you submit your finances to Jesus, asking Him direction and approval of your budget.
HYMN
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.
 
Oh, let me hear Thee speaking,
  In accents clear and still,
Above the storms of passion,
  The murmurs of self-will;
Oh, speak to reassure me,
  To hasten, or control;
Oh, speak, and make me listen,
  Thou Guardian of my soul.
 
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.
 
Oh, let me see Thy footprints,
  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 to rest receive me,
  My Savior and my Friend.

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20

Memorise: Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation. Malachi 3:9
Read: Mark 11:12-14
12 And on the morrow, when they were come from Bethany, he was hungry:
13 And seeing a fig tree afar off having leaves, he came, if haply he might find any thing thereon: and when he came to it, he found nothing but leaves; for the time of figs was not yet.
14 And Jesus answered and said unto it, No man eat fruit of thee hereafter for ever. And his disciples heard it.
Mark 11:20-21
20 And in the morning, as they passed by, they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots.
21 And Peter calling to remembrance saith unto him, Master, behold, the fig tree which thou cursedst is withered away.
Bible in one year: 2nd Chronicles 33-34, Ezekiel 40:48-41:11

1. When you go through the scriptures and see the effect of a divine curse on those who were cursed, you would do just about anything to avoid a curse from God.
2. Although a curse from one man to another can have terrible effects, if spiritual help is sought from someone operating at a higher level than the source of the curse, such curses can be terminated.
3. It’s a dilemma however, if the source of a curse is God. There would be no one to run to in such cases.
4. When God cursed the ground after the fall of Adam, from that moment till now, the earth has not been yielding produce to its full potential. Wait until you see what this same ground can produce after the curse is lifted during the millennial reign of Christ!
5. Similarly, when God cursed Cain, it had a terrible effect on him (Genesis 4:9-15). Cain was supposed to be the first born of the whole earth, but when he was cursed, he became a vagabond. Virtually everyone he met desired to kill him, even without him offending them. No wonder he cried to God for clemency. Genesis 4:13-14 says, “And Cain unto the LORD, My punishment is greater than I can bear. Behold, thou hast driven me out this day from the face of the earth; and from thy face shall I be hid; and I shall be a fugitive and a vagabond in the earth; and it shall come to pass, that everyone that findeth me shall slay me.”
6. Moreover, in today’s Bible reading, Jesus cursed a fig tree which appeared to have fruit but had only leaves. By the following morning, the tree had completely withered from its very roots.
7. When God places a curse, it begins to operate from the root upwards.
8. I once visited the capital of a state in Nigeria some years ago. This state had a lot of mighty rivers, yet the state capital had no pipe-borne water. Surprised, I made some inquiries on why this was so, and I was told, “Sir, there is a tree in the centre of the capital that should not be uprooted. They even had to build a road around it. As long as the tree remains, nothing good happens to this town. “I said “Is that so?” Then I quietly added, “No problem, we are here “I then cursed the tree in the Name of the Lord. That very night, there was a storm in the town and by the following morning, the tree was uprooted completely.
9. Any evil tree tying down your progress is cursed today in the Name of Jesus! I command it to dry up and be uprooted in Jesus’ Name!
10. Are you under a divine curse? Immediately run to the cross of Calvary in repentance and make your ways right with God, and thereafter seek His face for mercy. May you find favour in His sight today!

It is necessary for us to ponder on the action Point of today’s devotional and follow it up with the required actions. There is salvation in Christ regardless of how terrible the past has been. 1 Chronicles 4:9-10 showed Jabez the cursed being blessed. “And Jabez was more honourable than his brethren: and his mother called his name Jabez, saying, Because I bare him with sorrow. And Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, Oh that thou wouldest bless me indeed, and enlarge my coast, and that thine hand might be with me, and that thou wouldest keep me from evil, that it may not grieve me! And God granted him that which he requested.” May we access divine blessing and not curse all the days of our lives in Jesus name. God bless Pastor E.A Adeboye for this great insight into the word of God in Jesus name.

Action Point
Examine yourself to see if you have brought a divine curse upon yourself and your family by your actions, and immediately return to God in repentance and restitution.
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:
Oh, deeper yet, I pray,
And higher every day,
And wiser, blessed Lord,
In Thy precious, holy Word.
Deeper, deeper, blessed Holy Spirit,
Take me deeper still,
Till my life is wholly lost in Jesus,
And His perfect will.
Deeper, deeper! though it cost hard trials,
Deeper let me go!
Rooted in the holy love of Jesus,
Let me fruitful grow.
Deeper, higher, every day in Jesus,
Till all conflict past,
Finds me conqu’ror, and in His own image
Perfected at last.
Deeper, deeper in the faith of Jesus,
Holy faith and true;
In His pow’r and soul exulting wisdom
Let me peace pursue.

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20

Memorise: O give thanks unto the God of gods: for his mercy endureth for ever. Psalm 136:2
Read: Psalm 121:3-5
3 He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: he that keepeth thee will not slumber.
4 Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep.
5 The Lord is thy keeper: the Lord is thy shade upon thy right hand.
Bible in one year: 2nd Chronicles 31-32, Ezekiel 40:35-47

1. It is very important for you to give God thanks always.
2. One reason why this is necessary is because there are several battles God fights for you that you know nothing about.
3. Some people are so conservative when it comes to giving God thanks. They think they are clever, and so they only give God thanks when they believe He has earned it. In other words, they only thank God when He has done something very “tangible” for them. If however it appears that He has not done anything for them, they hold back on offering thanks to Him. Such people may think they are smart, but they are not.
4. When you are asleep, do you know the various battles waged against you by the enemies of your soul?
5. How can you fight for yourself in a realm you are oblivious of or when you are asleep?
6. Many years ago, while still lecturing at the University of Ilorin (Kwara State, Nigeria), I had an experience that left its mark on my mind.
7. In those days, I could travel from one end of the university campus to the other end within fifteen minutes. After my morning lectures, I could leave the campus, return home for lunch, and rest a while before returning for evening lectures. I was also the pastor of our church parish over there, and so people kept coming in and out of our living room. After my meal one afternoon, I lay down on the couch and closed my eyes so that I could get some rest. As I lay down, I put my two hands together on my head and closed my eyes. Suddenly, someone entered the room, held my two hands with one hand and held my two legs with the other hand and tried to kiss me. At first, I thought it was my wife, but then it dawned on me that whoever could hold me up this way must be a very tall fellow. I therefore opened my eyes and the creature disappeared. A cold shiver ran down my spine as I asked myself what this was.
8. Eventually, I pushed the incident aside. Intending to drive back to the campus, I got into the car, but all of a sudden I had a running stomach and began to vomit. I virtually crawled from the car into the toilet. Then I began to ask, “How could this happen to me?” God’s responses was, “Son, I just wanted you to see a little of the battles I fight for you, which you know nothing about.”
9. For you to sleep peacefully every day, God does not sleep. He continues to watch over you.
10. Why don’t you become really generous in thanking the Almighty God, who alone deserves all your thanks? 

There are so many reasons and things to thank God for. We have the known and unknown as well as the seen and unseen. Everything about God shows His greatness. It is God’s desire for us to give thanks at all times regardless of the situation. In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. 1 Thessalonians 5:18 He wants a true worshipper who will worship Him in spirit and in truth. He is doing wonders everyday and our gratitude to Him must be all the time. God be praised forever more! We bless God for Pastor E.A Adeboye and pray that may he wax stronger in Jesus name.

Prayer Point
Father, thank You for all You do for me, particularly for all the battles You fight on my behalf which I know nothing about.
HYMN
O Lord my God, when I in awesome wonder
Consider all the *worlds thy hands have made,
I see the stars, I hear the *rolling thunder,
Thy power throughout the universe displayed:
Chorus
Then sings my soul, my Savior God, to thee:
How great thou art! How great thou art!
Then sings my soul, my Savior God, to thee:
How great thou art! How great thou art!
When through the woods and forest glades I wander
And hear the birds sing sweetly in the trees,
When I look down from lofty mountain grandeur,
And hear the brook and feel the gentle breeze:
 
And when I think that God, his Son not sparing,
Sent him to die, I scarce can take it in,
That on the cross, my burden gladly bearing,
He bled and died to take away my sin.
 
When Christ shall come with shout of acclamation
And take me home, what joy shall fill my heart!
Then *I shall bow in humble adoration,
And there proclaim, My God, how great thou art!
 

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20

Memorise: Every man shall give as he is able, according to the blessing of the LORD thy God which he hath given thee. Deuteronomy 16:17
Read: Deuteronomy 16:16-17
16 Three times in a year shall all thy males appear before the Lord thy God in the place which he shall choose; in the feast of unleavened bread, and in the feast of weeks, and in the feast of tabernacles: and they shall not appear before the Lord empty:
17 Every man shall give as he is able, according to the blessing of the Lord thy God which he hath given thee.
Bible in one year: 2nd Chronicle 29-30, Ezekiel 40:20-34

1. When God commanded all males in Israel to appear before Him in today’s Bible reading, He specifically instructed that they should not come before Him empty-handed.
2. He also instructed that whatever they brought to Him must be a reflection of the level of blessings they had received from Him.
3. Based on these two parameters, can you say you have followed the divine pattern whenever you appear before God?
4. Today, when God’s people assemble before Him, many of them do not care about what they bring as an offering, as long as they bring something.
5. Do you know that God cares about this? For this reason, 2nd Corinthians 8:12 says, “For if there be first a willing mind, it is accepted according to that a man hath, and not according to that he hath not.”
6. One year, during our annual thanksgiving service for pastors and ministers of our church, I told them that God expects them to bring an offering that reflects how much He has blessed them individually. Then I asked them this question: “Brethren, do you know that many of us demote ourselves by the offering we give? “They appeared surprised to hear this. So I further explained that God knows us individually, and He knows the level to which He has blessed each one of us. He knows those who can afford to give N500 and those who are unable to give more than N100. If you are in the category of N1000 but give N500 per offering, you are indirectly saying to God, “Dear Lord, you made a mistake placing me in the category of givers of N1000. You should have left me in the category of givers of N500,” Then the Lord would reply, “I thought I promoted you, but if you want to demote yourself, no problem.”
7. This is why some people are experiencing financial dryness. You are the one who told God that the level He placed you at is too high and that He should take you lower.
8. I shared with my children that at the beginning of every year, I draw up a budget stating what I want to earn as my income for the year. Then I tell God that this is where I was last year but this is where I want to be by the year’s end. Thereafter, I start giving to reflect my expectations based on my target. I promote myself by giving beyond my present level, and I can tell you in unmistaken terms that God has never failed me, not even once. Before the end of the year, I would have already surpassed the limit I set for myself.
9. How has it been with your life of giving?
10. Make necessary adjustments today and key into your joy.

It’s important to always meditate on the word of God and ask for divine revelation concerning His word. Many believers have been deprived of greater blessings simply because of ignorance regarding giving. As our father stated, giving prompt us to divinely receive supernatural blessing. “Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you.” Luke‬ ‭6:38‬ ‬‬The last statement in this verse explains it all. The measure at which we give, is the measure at which it shall be replenished to us. May the Lord help us. Also, let’s give cheerfully and not because we are being persuaded. “So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver.” ‭‭II Corinthians‬ ‭9:7‬. May God continue to empower and strengthen Pastor E.A Adeboye in Jesus name.

Key Point
Giving at a level that matches the financial status of your expectations is a way to compel God to supernaturally upgrade you to that expected level.
HYMN
There shall be showers of blessing:
This is the promise of love;
There shall be seasons refreshing,
Sent from the Savior above.
Refrain:
Showers of blessing,
Showers of blessing we need:
Mercy-drops round us are falling,
But for the showers we plead.
There shall be showers of blessing,
Precious reviving again;
Over the hills and the valleys,
Sound of abundance of rain.
There shall be showers of blessing;
Send them upon us, O Lord;
Grant to us now a refreshing,
Come, and now honor Thy Word.
There shall be showers of blessing:
Oh, that today they might fall,
Now as to God we’re confessing,
Now as on Jesus we call!

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20

Memorise: And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight. 1st John 3:22
Read: James 1:5-6
5 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.
6 But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.
Bible in one year: 2nd Chronicles 26-28, Ezekiel 40:5-19

1. The Lord Jesus Christ instructed us to ask until our joy is full (John 16:24).
2. Due to a lack of faith in God’s ability to meet our needs, many of us ask for crumbs, and by doing so, we insult or dishonour God.
3. Are you one of such people?
4. During one of our special programmes sometime ago, while in my prayer room, God took me up on this issue. He reminded me of an incident that happened several years before then, when I went to London to prepare our Sunday School manual. After finishing it, I still had three days to go before my flight was due, but I had completely run out of money. The kind of ticket I paid for on that trip was a cheap one and so it did not allow for rescheduling of dates. I felt I could go without food for three days but could not avoid buying certain materials, books and tapes that I needed. These would cost me £50 and I had no money. So I said, “Daddy, it would be good if I could get £50. “Shortly after, my phone rang and I picked it up. The fellow on the line said, “Biyi”. I told him there was nobody with that name there. He asked, “Is that not so and so number?” As we talked, he got to know who I was and he screamed. He called out to his brother with excitement, telling him that he was speaking with me. Obviously, they had been discussing how they could see me and now I was on the phone with them. Eventually, they came over, we talked, and as they were leaving, they gave me £50. As soon as they left, I said, “Daddy, if I knew it would be this easy, I would have asked for £100!”
5. As I went upstairs in the apartment I was staying at, I rejoiced over the £50 I had just received. Just then, the door bell rang, and then it rang a second time. By this time, it was night already. Before I got to the door, the fellow at the door had slipped an envelope through the door into the room and left. I picked it up, opened it and realised it had come from a man I had known for a long time. He was a very wealthy man who was also very stingy. He had never given me a dime before. In the envelope was £50 and a note saying, “I just felt like giving you some money.” As I went towards the bedroom, I told God that if I had known this second £50 would come, I would have asked for another £50! That night, before I slept, another £50 came. Then I became afraid and told God I was joking and did not want to offend Him. In my prayer room, the Lord told me I had been a foolish boy. “If you asked me for £50 and I could provide it, why didn’t you ask for £5000?”
6. Are you trying to help God conserve His resources when you ask?
7. He doesn’t need your help! Ask, and ask big! Don’t limit Him.

Hallelujah! Our Father is the all sufficient God and so our dream must be big enough to accommodate God as a believer. We must see God as He is and reverence His miracle working power. If we do otherwise, we will be depriving ourselves of what we should have been blessed with. We should be fast in correcting our wrong doings as we study the scriptures or devotional such as the Open Heavens devotional. 2 Timothy 3:16 says: “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness” (NIV) The teachings we receive daily should be activated in our daily activities. May God bless Pastor E.A Adeboye in Jesus name.

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

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Memorise: And Zacchaeus stood, and said unto the Lord; Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have taken any thing from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold. Luke 19:8
Read: Luke 19:1-10
1 And Jesus entered and passed through Jericho.
2 And, behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus, which was the chief among the publicans, and he was rich.
3 And he sought to see Jesus who he was; and could not for the press, because he was little of stature.
4 And he ran before, and climbed up into a sycomore tree to see him: for he was to pass that way.
5 And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up, and saw him, and said unto him, Zacchaeus, make haste, and come down; for to day I must abide at thy house.
6 And he made haste, and came down, and received him joyfully.
7 And when they saw it, they all murmured, saying, That he was gone to be guest with a man that is a sinner.
8 And Zacchaeus stood, and said unto the Lord: Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have taken any thing from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold.
9 And Jesus said unto him, This day is salvation come to this house, forsomuch as he also is a son of Abraham.
10 For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.
Bible in one year: 2nd Chronicles 24-25, Ezekiel 39:21-40:4

1. When you are genuinely saved, you will desire to find out what you can do for the Lord Jesus Christ.
2. There will be a strong desire in your heart to reciprocate the Saviour’s gesture of love. Is it so with you?
3. When I newly got born again, there were quite a few people around me who got saved at about the same time also. We all had certain characteristics in common, one of which was: anytime there was work to be done for God, we volunteered. We did it joyfully, spending our money, time and energy. Unfortunately, when you ask some people who claim to be born again to do some work in the house of God today, they will charge you double the job’s worth, while some unbelievers would just give you a normal bill. Such people need to seek genuine salvation!
4. Moreover, another sign to genuine conversion is the desire to right your wrongs.
5. True salvation yearns for restitution.
6. Nobody will experience genuine salvation without asking questions such as these: How much of my past iniquity can I correct? How much can I salvage of the damage I have done?
7. These questions will come from your heart even without being taught the doctrine of restitution. This happened to Zacchaeus in today’s Bible reading.  Immediately Jesus entered his house, Zacchaeus responded to His love with these words in Luke 19:8: “…. Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have taken any thing from my man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold.”
8. Zacchaeus, even without being instructed, decided to give 50% of his wealth to the poor, and offered to return four times whatever he had taken from any man by false accusations. This pleased the Lord.
9. Indeed, restitution pleases God.
10. When you restore whatever you have stolen, and whenever you right your wrongs, it becomes a testimony to be genuineness of your repentance.
11. When you make restitution to people you offended or cheated, it softens the ground for you to eventually present the message of the gospel to them.
12. If you hold back what you stole, even after you claim to have been saved, you will retain the enmity of those you defrauded, and because of you, they may never respond to the message of salvation.
13. Is there any pending restitution you need to make?
14. Go ahead and right your wrongs. For controversial and very weighty cases, please seek counselling before going ahead. 

Knowing Christ brings a new heart and mindset to the saved. There is this urge to right every wrong deeds of the past. This salvation shows in the attitude and doings of the born again Christian. Those rugged living that brought stain and bad name is erased by the new living that will spring forth. We have been called to restitute where possible and seek counsel for bigger issues before going ahead. May we receive the courage to do so in Jesus name. The Open Heavens devotional is a big blessing to us. May God bless Pastor E.A Adeboye the author in Jesus name.

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

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Memorise: Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. Revelation 3:20
Read: Revelation 3:19-22
19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.
20 Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.
21 To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.
22 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.
Bible in one year: 2nd Chronicles 21-23, Ezekiel 39:9-20

1. God is a God of order, and Heaven is a place of order.
2. Heaven is also a place where everything revolves around the will of the Owner: God.
3. There is protocol in Heaven and a hierarchy or authority which must be respected. For this reason, when accessing God’s presence, the manner of approach really matters. How you enter into a room or house will determine whether you will be welcomed or chased out.
4. Do you know that even God subjects Himself to the law of order? In Revelations 3:20, Jesus said, “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and opened the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.”
5. Although God created us, He still has to knock and wait to be invited in before He enters into our hearts.
6. Even though He created the space in your heart for Himself, He still doesn’t force Himself into that space. You are the one to decide if and when He should come in or not.
7. In Genesis 18:1-8, Abraham saw some divine visitors near his tent. He ran to meet them, pleading for the opportunity to be hospitable to them. In this instance also, you can see that God waited to be invited in.
8. Similarly, in Genesis 19:1-3, when the two angels arrived in Sodom, Lot invited them in to spend the night.
9. Also, in 2nd Kings 4:8, Elisha was just passing by when the Shunammite woman invited him into her house for lunch, and even though he said he was not hungry, the woman practically compelled him to come in. From that day forward, whenever Elisha passed by, he stopped over at her house.
10. God waits to be invited in because of His humility, and due to the fact that He does not want to impose Himself on us.
11. Also, He created us as free moral agents and not as zombies or robots: He wants us to be free to express our own will.
12. In addition, He wants us to be able to bear the consequences of our actions and not hold Him responsible for what we do.
13. He also wants to be able to determine if we truly love Him and whether we desire to follow Him or not.
14. If you are not yet born again, you have been keeping the Saviour waiting all these years. Please answer the knock on the door of your heart, kindly invite Jesus in, and surrender your whole life to Him.
15. Doing this is in your own interest.

God is super awesome and respects even the free will of humanity created by Him. His reputation and faithfulness is amazing. Revelation 3:20 “Behold, I stand at the door and knock.. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.”. Believers should understand that God will never impose His blessing or wish upon anyone but rather expects you to show your intention to be blessed. Thank God for several examples given in today’s devotional. In  Matthew 7:7, we are also required to ask first before it is given to us. Have you been wondering if God is interested in your case, I like to affirm to you that He is more than interested to help but have you opened the door? Do you even hear His cool voice? Food for thought and adjustment. God be praised forever more for Pastor E.A Adeboye.
Action Point
Invite Jesus into every area of your life from which you have shut Him out.
HYMN
1 How sweet the name of Jesus sounds 
in a believer’s ear! 
It soothes our sorrows, heals our wounds, 
and drives away our fear. 
2 It makes the wounded spirit whole 
and calms the troubled breast; 
’tis manna to the hungry soul, 
and to the weary, rest. 
3 O Jesus, shepherd, guardian, friend, 
my Prophet, Priest, and King, 
my Lord, my Life, my Way, my End, 
accept the praise I bring. 
4 How weak the effort of my heart, 
how cold my warmest thought; 
but when I see you as you are, 
I’ll praise you as I ought. 
5 Till then I would your love proclaim 
with every fleeting breath; 
and may the music of your name 
refresh my soul in death. 

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Memorise: Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light:  – Colossians 1:12
Read: Colossians 1:12-13, Ephesians 2:1-2
12 Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light:
13 Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:
Ephesians 2:1-2:
1 And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;
2 Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:
Bible in One Year: 2 Chronicles 19-20, Ezekiel 38:17-39:8,

1. In every village, town, city, state or nation, there are usually two kingdoms at play: the kingdom of light and the kingdom of darkness. Colossians 1:13 says, “Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:”
2. This scripture shows that every child of God has been moved from one of these kingdoms to the other. If you are truly saved, you are no longer in darkness but in the kingdom of light.
3. As light, you should not be afraid of operators in the kingdom of darkness, such as witches, wizards and those in the occult, because you have the greater One inside of you (1 John 4.4).
4. If you are afraid of them, this indicates to you that all is not well with you; there could be some cracks in your wall, and sin might be responsible.
5. Whatever compromises your holiness compromises your divine security.
6. When these operators of darkness see that your light is shining brightly, they will withdraw and dangle carrots of temptation at you, and if you fall for it, they will strike at you.
7. Moreover, the reason why God translated us from the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of his dear Son is because He is interested in having His will established both in Heaven and here on earth. Although nothing short of God’s will is done in Heaven, on earth, there is still a struggle to establish God’s will, because man handed over control of the earth to the kingdom of darkness in the Garden of Eden (Luke 4:5-6).
8. As a child of God, you are therefore an agent of re-establishing God’s will in any corner of the earth where you find yourself. If you want to establish and fulfil God’s will, you will make no room for lies, sin and pretence.
9. Among God’s children on earth today, you will be shocked to know how many of them really seek to do His will in all areas of their lives.
10. Many of us want God to change His plans and ways to suit ours, but that is an expectation in futility.
11. God does not change. He is ever the same (Malachi 3:6). As conservative as He may appear to be, His technology in Heavens is billions of years ahead of ours on earth. In fact, He is the One who gives our researchers, thinkers and inventors the latest discoveries they get.  Such scientific discoveries are new and news to us, but not to those in Heaven. To them, the best we have on offer is stale news. In Heaven, there are no gimmicks or tricks.
12. Everything revolves around God, and He is in control of time.
13. When God therefore gives you an assignment, He has expectations regarding when, where and how it should be done. If you miss out on any of the details, you will be on your own.
14. To what extent are you doing His will?

“If you want to establish and fulfil God’s will, you will make no room for lies, sin and pretence.” This statement is to be meditated on for correction because it is deep. We have been saved by grace so as to step into the mandate our Lord Jesus Christ took upon Himself. We have been commissioned to reconcile men to God and all we require to do it successfully has been made available unto us. Romans 8:19‭, ‬30 says “For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God.” “Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.” His will is the most important and the paramount. God bless Pastor E.A Adeboye for this great devotional and renew his strength in Jesus name.

Action Point
Ask God for grace to know Him, and for courage to do His will in every situation.
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:
Oh, deeper yet, I pray,
And higher every day,
And wiser, blessed Lord,
In Thy precious, holy Word.
Deeper, deeper, blessed Holy Spirit,
Take me deeper still,
Till my life is wholly lost in Jesus,
And His perfect will.
Deeper, deeper! though it cost hard trials,
Deeper let me go!
Rooted in the holy love of Jesus,
Let me fruitful grow.
Deeper, higher, every day in Jesus,
Till all conflict past,
Finds me conqu’ror, and in His own image
Perfected at last.
Deeper, deeper in the faith of Jesus,
Holy faith and true;
In His pow’r and soul exulting wisdom
Let me peace pursue.
 

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