Open Heaven For Today 2024 Friday Daily Devotional By Pastor E. A. Adeboye – The Snare Of The Fowler 5
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TOPIC: The Snare Of The Fowler 5
MEMORISE: "For not he that commendeth himself is approved, but whom the Lord commendeth." 2 Corinthians 10:18
READ: Judges 16:4-21(KJV)
4 And it came to pass afterward, that he loved a woman in the valley of Sorek, whose name was Delilah.
5 And the lords of the Philistines came up unto her, and said unto her, Entice him, and see wherein his great strength lieth, and by what means we may prevail against him, that we may bind him to afflict him; and we will give thee every one of us eleven hundred pieces of silver.
6 And Delilah said to Samson, Tell me, I pray thee, wherein thy great strength lieth, and wherewith thou mightest be bound to afflict thee.
7 And Samson said unto her, If they bind me with seven green withs that were never dried, then shall I be weak, and be as another man.
8 Then the lords of the Philistines brought up to her seven green withs which had not been dried, and she bound him with them.
9 Now there were men lying in wait, abiding with her in the chamber. And she said unto him, The Philistines be upon thee, Samson. And he brake the withs, as a thread of tow is broken when it toucheth the fire. So his strength was not known.
10 And Delilah said unto Samson, Behold, thou hast mocked me, and told me lies: now tell me, I pray thee, wherewith thou mightest be bound.
11 And he said unto her, If they bind me fast with new ropes that never were occupied, then shall I be weak, and be as another man.
12 Delilah therefore took new ropes, and bound him therewith, and said unto him, The Philistines be upon thee, Samson. And there were liers in wait abiding in the chamber. And he brake them from off his arms like a thread.
13 And Delilah said unto Samson, Hitherto thou hast mocked me, and told me lies: tell me wherewith thou mightest be bound. And he said unto her, If thou weavest the seven locks of my head with the web.
14 And she fastened it with the pin, and said unto him, The Philistines be upon thee, Samson. And he awaked out of his sleep, and went away with the pin of the beam, and with the web.
15 And she said unto him, How canst thou say, I love thee, when thine heart is not with me? thou hast mocked me these three times, and hast not told me wherein thy great strength lieth.
16 And it came to pass, when she pressed him daily with her words, and urged him, so that his soul was vexed unto death;
17 That he told her all his heart, and said unto her, There hath not come a razor upon mine head; for I have been a Nazarite unto God from my mother's womb: if I be shaven, then my strength will go from me, and I shall become weak, and be like any other man.
18 And when Delilah saw that he had told her all his heart, she sent and called for the lords of the Philistines, saying, Come up this once, for he hath shewed me all his heart. Then the lords of the Philistines came up unto her, and brought money in their hand.
19 And she made him sleep upon her knees; and she called for a man, and she caused him to shave off the seven locks of his head; and she began to afflict him, and his strength went from him.
20 And she said, The Philistines be upon thee, Samson. And he awoke out of his sleep, and said, I will go out as at other times before, and shake myself. And he wist not that the Lord was departed from him.
21 But the Philistines took him, and put out his eyes, and brought him down to Gaza, and bound him with fetters of brass; and he did grind in the prison house.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 2 Chronicles 12-16
Open Heaven For Today 2023 MESSAGE
Today, I will conclude my discussion on the qualities that make the devil's bait effective: the devil ensures that his bait invokes his prey's pride. In Genesis 3:6, Eve ate the forbidden fruit because she felt that it could make her wise. When you are lured to do something to show off, beware!
Usually, the enemy catches people who think that they can never be caught (1 Corinthians 10:12). When a fellow says, ''I believe in holiness, and I practice it, so the devil can never get me,'' he or she should take heed. For example, in Luke 22:31-34, the Lord said to Peter, ''Satan desires to have you.'' Peter said, ''Lord, even if it involves death, the devil will not overpower me." Jesus replied, "Before the cock crows twice, you will deny me three times."
In today's Bible reading, we discovered that Samson fell because he was over-confident. Delilah did not hide her intentions, she clearly asked for the secret of his power to know how to over power him. Samson thought that with his track record, he could not be captured and so, he decided to play a game with the devil. Don't play games with the devil, he has been around for a long while. His track record shows how many great people he has destroyed. 1 Thessalonians 5:22 says, "Abstain from all appearance of evil." If it looks like evil, don't think that you can withstand it. Run!
I know some who said that he joined one of the secret cults on his campus because he was curious. He said he did it for fun, believing that he would not get involved in the terrible things they do as if that were possible. Don't joke with the devil. The Bible says in Proverbs 29:23 says in Proverbs 16:18 that pride goes before destruction. Proverbs 29:23 says that a man's pride shall bring him low.
Some years ago, a lady was to be employed as my private secretary, and I said, "No way!" I know the nature of my work; I work day and night. What will I say I am doing alone in my office at night with another man's wife. Some people came later and said, "I know, but does the anointing turn your body to stone?"
If you think you cannot fall, you are already on your way down because your pride will let you get close to the trap enough for it to eventually catch you. Pride goes before a fall.
Key Point
Let he that thinks he stands take heed lest he falls (1 Corinthians 10:12).
HYMN 28: Guide me O Thou Great Jehovah
1 Guide me, O my great Redeemer,
pilgrim through this barren land;
I am weak, but you are mighty;
hold me with your powerful hand.
Bread of heaven, bread of heaven,
feed me now and evermore,
feed me now and evermore.
2 Open now the crystal fountain,
where the healing waters flow.
Let the fire and cloudy pillar
lead me all my journey through.
Strong Deliverer, strong Deliverer,
ever be my strength and shield,
ever be my strength and shield.
3 When I tread the verge of Jordan,
bid my anxious fears subside.
Death of death, and hell’s Destruction,
land me safe on Canaan’s side.
Songs of praises, songs of praises
I will ever sing to you,
I will ever sing to you.
Open Heaven For Today 2024 Thursday Daily Devotional By Pastor E. A. Adeboye – The Snare Of The Fowler 4
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TOPIC: The Snare Of The Fowler 4
MEMORISE: "All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any". 1 Corinthians 6:12
READ: Romans 6:1-23 (KJV)
1 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?
2 God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?
3 Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?
5 For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:
6 Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.
7 For he that is dead is freed from sin.
8 Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him:
9 Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him.
10 For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God.
11 Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.
12 Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.
13 Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.
14 For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.
15 What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid.
16 Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?
17 But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you.
18 Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.
19 I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness.
20 For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness.
21 What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death.
22 But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.
23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 2 Chronicles 8-11
Open Heaven For Today 2023 MESSAGE
Today, I will discuss the second quality that makes the devil’s baits effective. The devil uses baits which are pleasant to the eyes and taste to get people in his trap.
For example, Eve considered the forbidden fruit to be pleasant to the eyes and good for food when the devil tempted her with it (Genesis 3:6).
Presenting sin as if it is pleasant is an old trick of the devil to trap man, and every believer must be wary of it.
If a fellow is controlled by physical senses, he or she becomes vulnerable to the devil’s bait. This is why you must be dead to the flesh.
When people always want to satisfy their flesh, they will not be able to control their sexual desires, eating habits, and so on.
The very dangerous thing about the devil’s bait being pleasant to the taste is that if a fellow tastes it once, it can become difficult to stop, just as I described three days ago.
The key to avoiding the bait is not to taste it at all. Yes, it looks attractive, but you must not go near it at all. An African proverb says, “What you should not eat, you should not sniff.”
Ask anyone who is addicted to something bad, and they will tell you it all started with a taste. Those who masturbate only tasted it once, and when they saw that nothing happened to them, they did it again and again until they found out that they had become addicted.
Those who are addicted to alcohol usually start out as casual drinkers before becoming heavy drinkers. When the trap snaps shut and many of these people look back at their lives, they regret the first day they ever tasted the enemy’s bait.
If a snare is prepared by the fowler and you stay away from the bait, you will not be caught in it.
During the Nigerian civil war, there was a slogan used by one side of the conflict: “The price of safety is unresting vigilance.”
Please, my beloved, stay as far away from the devil’s bait as you can.
If you are addicted to a sinful habit, you need the power of the Most High God to break free from it.
Seek help from a spirit-filled man of God and you may also consult a Christian professional counsellor to break free from that addiction.
By the grace of God, you will not become the devil’s prey, in Jesus’ name.
Key Point
Don’t taste the devil’s bait at all.
HYMN 7: I am Thine, O Lord
1 I am Thine, O Lord, I have heard Thy voice,
And it told Thy love to me;
But I long to rise in the arms of faith,
And be closer drawn to Thee.
Refrain:
Draw me nearer, nearer, nearer, blessed Lord,
To the cross where Thou hast died;
Draw me nearer, nearer, nearer, blessed Lord,
To Thy precious, bleeding side.
2 Consecrate me now to Thy service, Lord,
By the pow’r of grace divine;
Let my soul look up with a steadfast hope,
And my will be lost in Thine. [Refrain]
3 Oh, the pure delight of a single hour
That before Thy throne I spend,
When I kneel in prayer, and with Thee, my God,
I commune as friend with friend! [Refrain]
4 There are depths of love that I cannot know
Till I cross the narrow sea;
There are heights of joy that I may not reach
Till I rest in peace with Thee. [Refrain]
Open Heaven For Today 2024 Wednesday Daily Devotional By Pastor E. A. Adeboye – The Snare Of The Fowler 3
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TOPIC: The Snare Of The Fowler 3
MEMORISE: "And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for its profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell. Matthew 5:29
READ: Matthew 6:22-23 (KJV)
22 The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light.
23 But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!
Open Heaven For Today 2023 MESSAGE
Yesterday, I promised to discuss the three major qualities that make the devil's baits effective.
The first bait the devil ever used was the forbidden fruit. When you read Genesis 3:6, you will see all the qualities of the devil's bait in the fruit.
Eve saw that the fruit was pleasant to the eyes. The fowler's bait is usually attractive and difficult to ignore.
The devil studies a fellow and knows the things that he or she is attracted to.
You will hardly see a man commit adultery with a woman he considers ugly.
The bait the enemy will use is usually attractive. Don't be fooled by its attractiveness; it has death in it.
In Judge 16:4, Samson 'fell in lust' with Delilah and threw all caution to the wind.
The devil used the attraction to her to bait him into a trap that eventually destroyed him.
There are probably things around you that you are attracted to that are sinful or that may cause you to sin.
It is a trap that you should beware of so that you will not become prey to the devil.
If a man is attracted to a light-skinned woman, the devil will put them all around him as temptations to commit fornication or adultery.
If he is attracted to flashy cars, the devil will keep bringing flashy cars his way.
If he lets his lust for flashy cars push him to steal, then the devil has caught him. This is why Christians must circumcise their hearts to change their affections.
Set you affection on things above, not on things on the earth. Colossians 3:2
Do not be too attracted to the things of the world. You must soak yourself in the word of God.
Let His word abide in you so much that the only things that are attractive to you are things that please Him.
Guard your heart with all diligence, for out of it flows the issues of life (Proverbs 4:23).
Beware of the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life (1 John 2:16).
If you discover that things of the world are becoming more attractive to you than the things of God, it means that you are vulnerable to the devil's snare.
Declare a fast for yourself, go on a retreat and spend quality time in God's presence till that lust dies.
Key Point
The Devil knows what you are attracted to, and he will use that as bait to get you. Beware!
HYMN 31: Yield Not To Temptation
1. When we walk with the Lord,
In the light of His word,
What a glory He sheds on our way!
While we do His good will
He abides with us still,
And with all who will trust and obey.
Refrain:
Trust and obey!
For there’s no other way
To be happy in Jesus,
But to trust and obey.
2. But we never can prove
The delights of His love,
Until all on the altar we lay,
For the favour He shows
And the joy He bestows
Are for them who will trust and obey. [Refrain]
3. Then in fellowship sweet
We will sit at His feet,
Or we’ll walk by His side in the way,
What He says we will do,
Where He sends we will go,
Never fear, only trust and obey. [Refrain]
Open Heaven For Today 2024 Tuesday Daily Devotional By Pastor E. A. Adeboye – The Snare Of The Fowler 2
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TOPIC: The Snare Of The Fowler 2
MEMORISE: "A man’s heart deviseth his way: but the LORD directeth his steps." 1 John 2:16
READ: James 1:12-16 (KJV)
12 Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.
13 Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man:
14 But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.
15 Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.
16 Do not err, my beloved brethren.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 2 Chronicles 1-4
Open Heaven For Today 2023 MESSAGE
Shall the prey be taken from the mighty, or the lawful captive delivered? Isaiah 49:24
According to the word of God, anyone who catches prey with a trap like I described yesterday can legally lay claim to it.
There are lawful captives of the enemy. We have tried to cast demons out of people before, and they would say,
“You are trespassing because this fellow belongs to us. They walked into our trap.”
For example, I once had a student who was on his way to his National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) station when he fell sick.
The doctor said he was allergic to rice. When they brought him to me, and as I was about to pray for him, the Lord said that he had to make restitution.
It turned out his father stole a neighbour’s bicycle to pay his school fees, and the owner placed a curse on the thief.
His father died from an allergic reaction to rice, and now the son was on the same path.
If that had not been revealed to me, we would have prayed in futility because the boy was a lawful captive.
I told him to buy a bicycle for the man’s son because the man was late. Incidentally, when he returned after doing so, I was about to eat rice.
He ate my rice, finished it, and nothing happened to him. Another boy was brought to me for prayers because he was barking.
This boy had been having sex with their dog in the house. I prayed, but the barking did not stop.
I advised the parents to keep bringing him for the Holy Ghost service every month and be hopeful that God will have mercy and deliver the lawful captive from his captor.
When a fellow walks into the trap of the enemy after being lured by his or her lust, the devil can lawfully lay a claim on the fellow.
In our Bible reading for today, Apostle James tells us clearly that God does not tempt anyone, but rather, people are tempted by their own lusts, which result in sin and then death eventually.
The bait the devil uses does not usually look like death.
The bait has three major qualities to make it effective: it is usually attractive to the prey, it is pleasant to the prey’s taste, and it invokes the prey’s pride.
I will discuss these qualities in detail in the following days because I believe God that after this study, you will never fall into the devil’s trap.
Key Point
Beware of the things you lust after; they are baits of the devil that will lead to death eventually.
HYMN 28: Guide me, O Thou Great Jehovah
1 Guide me, O my great Redeemer,
pilgrim through this barren land;
I am weak, but you are mighty;
hold me with your powerful hand.
Bread of heaven, bread of heaven,
feed me now and evermore,
feed me now and evermore.
2 Open now the crystal fountain,
where the healing waters flow.
Let the fire and cloudy pillar
lead me all my journey through.
Strong Deliverer, strong Deliverer,
ever be my strength and shield,
ever be my strength and shield.
3 When I tread the verge of Jordan,
bid my anxious fears subside.
Death of death, and hell’s Destruction,
land me safe on Canaan’s side.
Songs of praises, songs of praises
I will ever sing to you,
I will ever sing to you.
Open Heaven For Today 2024 Monday Daily Devotional By Pastor E. A. Adeboye – The Snare Of The Fowler 1
Click HERE for Previous Open Heaven Devotional
TOPIC: The Snare Of The Fowler 1
MEMORISE: "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour". 1 Peter 5:8
READ: Psalm 124:6-8(KJV)
6 Blessed be the Lord, who hath not given us as a prey to their teeth.
7 Our soul is escaped as a bird out of the snare of the fowlers: the snare is broken, and we are escaped.
8 Our help is in the name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 1 Chronicles 27-29
Open Heaven For Today 2023 MESSAGE
The Bible teaches that there are some people called fowlers who hunt for souls.
A good example of a fowler is an adulteress (Proverbs 6:26).
The Bible says that she hunts for precious life. The chief of all fowlers is the devil (1 Peter 5:8)
A fowler uses a snare to entrap prey.
I grew up on a farm, and we used to get our meat by trapping animals.
In the evenings, we would get traps, dig into the soil, put the traps in the hole, cover them with leaves, and sprinkle soil on the leaves so that everything would look normal.
After setting the traps, we would put baits (usually corn) on both sides of the traps and then go to bed.
At night, when an animal sees the baits around a trap, it will go close and eat some of the corn.
When it sees that nothing happens, it moves forward, eats a little more and then goes on until it finishes all the corn on one side.
Since it has eaten all the corn on one side, it ignorantly attempts to cross over to eat the corn on the other side, and suddenly, as it steps on the trap, it snaps shut and catches the animal.
By morning, it is in our cooking pot.
There are countless people in hell today because they tasted sin and nothing seemed to happen, so they keep shinning until they get caught in the devil's trap.
Many young ladies from good homes who were taught to keep their virginity have ended up badly because they had sex once, and since nothing happened, they continued until they got pregnant, contracted a disease, or became fully immersed in that terrible lifestyle.
One thing a trapped animal experiences when the trap snaps shut is great fear. Likewise, one of the signs that a fellow is in trouble is fear.
The one who is caught in the trap of the fowler is called prey. Interestingly, prey sounds like prey.
If a Christian does not pray, he or she will become prey.
Psalm 91:3 says that the one who dwells in the secret place of the Most High will be delivered from the snare of the fowler.
If you don't want to fall into the snare of the fowler, your secret place with your Father must be on fire.
If your altar grows cold, you may soon find yourself in the devil's cooking pot.
Pray fervently for at least one hour every day, and it will be difficult for you to be the devil's prey.
Key Point
If you don't pray, you will become prey to the devil.
HYMN 22: Sweet Hour of Prayer
1. Sweet hour of prayer! sweet hour of prayer!
that calls me from a world of care,
and bids me at my Father’s throne
make all my wants and wishes known.
In seasons of distress and grief,
my soul has often found relief,
and oft escaped the tempter’s snare
by thy return, sweet hour of prayer!
2. Sweet hour of prayer! sweet hour of prayer!
the joys I feel, the bliss I share
of those whose anxious spirits burn
with strong desires for thy return!
With such I hasten to the place
where God my Savior shows his face,
and gladly take my station there,
and wait for thee, sweet hour of prayer!
3. Sweet hour of prayer! sweet hour of prayer!
thy wings shall my petition bear
to him whose truth and faithfulness
engage the waiting soul to bless.
And since he bids me seek his face,
believe his word, and trust his grace,
I’ll cast on him my every care,
and wait for thee, sweet hour of prayer!
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