OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL: WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 15TH 2017-LIVING WITHIN THE DIVINE WILL

Memorise: Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Matthew 6:10
Read: Matthew 26:37-42 (KJV)
37 And he took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be sorrowful and very heavy.
38 Then saith he unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch with me.
39 And he went a little farther, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.
40 And he cometh unto the disciples, and findeth them asleep, and saith unto Peter, What, could ye not watch with me one hour?
41 Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.
42 He went away again the second time, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if this cup may not pass away from me, except I drink it, thy will be done.
Bible in one year: John 14-15, Isaiah 38:4-19

1. Until you get to the point of conviction where you accept the fact that you can never have anything better than what God has for you, life will remain a struggle.
2. There are many people struggling to find their place in life, but as a child of God you were not created to live by chance.
3. You were designed by God to walk in His blueprint for your life, and so anything less than what God intends for you should be rejected.
4. Living within the divine will means having an understanding of God’s plan for you in every area of your life.
5. The will of God is always higher and greater than the will of man. His thoughts are directed towards our peace and fulfilment in this world (Jeremiah 29:11). This is why it is necessary to discern and hear what God is saying about the present phase of your life.
6. There are people who are in the wrong job. No matter how much they work, they can never be successful because they are struggling with what God has not wired them for. Some people are in the wrong location, while some others are in relationships that drive away the presence of God from them.
7. Do you know that there are people you meet in life who negatively impact your destiny? There are even some people you meet, and after they are gone out of your life, you find yourself drained, because all they did was use you.
8. God’s will is to increase you and not to use you. However, you have to wait upon the Lord and never outrun Him because He is the one leading you.
9. Examples abound in Scripture of those who struggled with the will of God for their lives before they understood what God would have them do. Moses thought he was doing the right thing when he killed and Egyptian, since he was born for the purpose of delivering the children of Israel from the hands of their Egyptian oppressors (Exodus 2:11-12). However, he walked outside the will of God by taking action at the wrong time and also by using the wrong approach.
10. Jacob was also aware of God’s plan for him to be greater than his elder brother, but he devised a crooked method of obtaining the covenant blessing from his father. Consequently, he had no rest until he learnt to surrender to God.
11. Have faith in God that you will become what He wants you to become; not by folding your hands and doing nothing, by being diligent in your walk of faith.
12. What is not enough today will be more than enough tomorrow through God’s help. Remember the Lord blessed the latter days of Job more than his beginning (Job 42:12).
13. Learn to wait. He who waits never loses, but he who is hasty never gains. Seek God’s face, and ask Him for the needed grace to run the race.
14. God places a high premium on his children who are ready to align their words, actions, thoughts and decisions with the standards of Heaven.

Anyone who decides to walk in the will of God functions from the position of rest. Under His shadow and in following His instruction there is so much peace. The divine will of God is the perfect will of God and it is far better than the goodwill or permissive will. Moses recognised that walking in God’s will and having His presence brings victory in Exodus 33:15 “And he said unto him, If thy presence go not with me, carry us not up hence. What more can one need to trust Him in every phase of life and follow Him sole and faithfully? In Jeremiah 29:11 He told us affirmatively that “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord , thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. Waiting on the Lord is an act of faith that God Himself cherishes and then honours it in turn. God will help us to lean solely on Him and He will fulfil His words in our lives in Jesus name. We thank God for Pastor E.A Adeboye for blessing us and inspiring us in today’s devotional. God bless him in strength and greater ability in Jesus’ name.

Prayer Point
Father, grant me grace to patiently wait and work towards actualising Your will for my life.
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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