Open Heaven For Today 2024 Thursday Daily Devotional By Pastor E. A. Adeboye – The Sword Of The Spirit
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TOPIC: The Sword Of The Spirit
MEMORISE: "For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thought and intents of the heart." Hebrews 4:12
READ: Matthew 4:1-11(KJV)
1 Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil.
2 And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred.
3 And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread.
4 But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.
5 Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple,
6 And saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.
7 Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.
8 Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them;
9 And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me.
10 Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.
11 Then the devil leaveth him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Psalms 50-55
Open Heaven For Today 2023 MESSAGE
Today, I will be concluding my teaching on the full armour of God by looking at the last piece of armour.
The sword of the Spirit is the only primarily offensive weapon listed in Ephesians 6:10-17.
It is clearly a very important weapon that every soldier of Christ must have.
The sword of the Spirit is the word of God. In the Spirit realm, battle are not fought with physical weapons but with words.
The most potent of all the weapons used in spiritual battles is the word of God.
The word of God is a powerful sword in the mouth of a believer. With it, you can defect any force of any realm. Hebrews 4:12 describes this sword as quick, powerful and sharper than any two edged sword.
This weapon is available to you for spiritual battles. When you know how to use this weapon, no force can withstand you.
This is why you need to know the word for yourself and memories it. Any Christian that does not study the Bible will be powerfulness in spiritual matters.
When the devil tries to attack your health, counter-attack him with 1 Peter 2:24 that says that you were healed by the stripes of Jesus.
When he tries to attack your finances, tell him that the Lord will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory Philippians 4:19).
If he tries to come against your children, tell him that children are of heritage of the Lord so he should get his hands off God's property (Psalms 127:3).
The word of God is superior to any other word, so when you present it concerning any case, the devil has no choice but to give in.
If you present your own words to the devil in a spiritual battle, he can ignore whatever you have to say. However, he cannot ignore the word of God.
Psalm 138:2 says that God exalts His name. Know the word of God and memorise it so that when you are faced with an adverse situation, you will have the weapons to use to conquer the devil.
Don't suffer in the hands of the devil when you already have in your possession the sword of the Spirit - a weapon that is guaranteed to defeat him to all times.
Key Point
Your Bible contains more power than you can imagine. Study it and use it to defeat the enemy.
HYMN 3: Ancients Words 1. Holy words long preserved
For our walk in this world
They resound with God’s own heart
Oh, let the ancient words impart
Chorus
Ancient words ever true
Changing me and changing you
We have come with open hearts
Oh, let the ancient words impart
2. Words of Life, words of Hope
Give us strength, help us cope
In this world, where e’er we roam
Ancient words will guide us home
3. Holy words of our Faith
Handed down to this age
Came to us through sacrifice
Oh heed the faithful words of Christ
4. Holy words long preserved
For our walk in this world
They resound with God’s own heart
Oh let the ancient words impart
Open Heaven For Today 2024 Wednesday Daily Devotional By Pastor E. A. Adeboye – The Helment of Salvation
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TOPIC: The Helmet of Salvation
MEMORISE: "And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:" Ephesians 6:17
READ: 1 Thessalonians 5:1-10 (KJV)
1 But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you.
2 For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.
3 For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.
4 But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief.
5 Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness.
6 Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober.
7 For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night.
8 But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation.
9 For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ,
10 Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Psalms 43-49
Open Heaven For Today 2023 MESSAGE
Today, I will continue my teaching on the full armour of God by discussing the helmet of salvation.
A helmet is a piece of armour that covers the head. Your head is a part of your body that can be used to identify you, as evidenced by the snapshots used in identification cards.
Wearing the helmet of salvation identifies you as a child of God and tells the devil to take his hand off you.
It is unfortunate, however, that many believers remove their helmet of salvation when they get to certain circles; they don't want people there to know that they are saved.
They try to conform to the world rather than being different. Romans 12:2 says:
And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
When a Christian refuses to identify as a child of God, that Christian is removing the protection from his or head, and that is one delicate part of the body that would result in instant death if it is struck.
Many people lose their salvation because they are trying to conform to the world. Keep your salvation intact by boldly identifying as a child of God everywhere you go.
The blood of Jesus, which was shed on the cross, is what gives us the gift of salvation.
Those that are saved are of the light and not of the darkness, as seen in today's Bible reading.
Hence, you must behave as a child of light at all times. Matthew 7:16 says that you can identify those who are saved by their fruits.
If you start exhibiting fruits that are not of God, your helmet of salvation is off, and that spells trouble because on the last day, when Jesus comes back to take his own to be with Him, He will only take those who still have their helmets of salvation on.
This is why you must work out your salvation with fear and trembling (Philippians 2:12).
Don't assume that you still have your helmet of salvation on just because you have been going to church or even because you are a pastor.
Check your salvation at all times to be sure that you are still standing. 1 Corinthians 10:12 says that you should take heed if you think you are standing, lest you fall.
Key Point
Your helmet of salvation identifies you as a child of God. Make sure you have on at all times.
HYMN 14: O What a Wonderful, Wonderful day
1 Oh What A Wonderful Wonderful Day
Day I Will Never Forget
After I’d Wandered In Darkness Away
Jesus My Savior I Met
Oh What A Tender Compassionate Friend
He Met The Need Of My Heart
Shadows Dispelling With Joy I Am Telling
He Made All The Darkness Depart
Chorus
Heaven Came Down
And Glory Filled My Soul
When At The Cross
The Savior Made Me Whole
My Sins Were Washed Away
And My Night Was Turned To Day
Heaven Came Down
And Glory Filled My Soul
2 Born Of The Spirit With Life From Above
Into God’s Fam’ly Divine
Justified Fully Thru Calvary’s Love
Oh What A Standing Is Mine
And The Transaction So Quickly Was Made
When As A Sinner I Came
Took Of The Offer Of Grace
He Did Proffer He Saved Me
Oh Praise His Dear Name
3 Now I’ve A Hope That Will Surely Endure
After The Passing Of Time
I Have A Future In Heaven For Sure
There In Those Mansions Sublime
And It’s Because Of That Wonderful Day
When At The Cross I Believed
Riches Eternal And Blessings Supernal
From His Precious Hand I Received
Open Heaven For Today 2024 Tuesday Daily Devotional By Pastor E. A. Adeboye – The Shield of Faith
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TOPIC: The Shield of Faith
MEMORISE: "Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of wicked. Ephesians 6:16
READ: Matthew 21:18-22 (KJV)
18 Now in the morning as he returned into the city, he hungered.
19 And when he saw a fig tree in the way, he came to it, and found nothing thereon, but leaves only, and said unto it, Let no fruit grow on thee henceforward for ever. And presently the fig tree withered away.
20 And when the disciples saw it, they marvelled, saying, How soon is the fig tree withered away!
21 Jesus answered and said unto them, Verily I say unto you, If ye have faith, and doubt not, ye shall not only do this which is done to the fig tree, but also if ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; it shall be done.
22 And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Psalms 38-42
Open Heaven For Today 11 June 2024 MESSAGE:
Over the past few days, I have teaching on full amour of God. The shield of faith ensures that the fiery arrows of the devil do not get to you.
This suggests that there will be times when the devil will try to attack your health, finances, marriage and so on.
You should use the shield of faith to ward off all such attacks. A Christian without faith is vulnerable to the devil's attacks.
Also, a Christian without faith should not expect to receive anything from God as we see in James 1:6-7.
Some things will come up that will try to shake your faith, those are the fiery darts of the enemy.
They will look scary and seem to be able to bring you down, but if you hold on to your faith in Christ, you will ward them off.
Sometimes, they come as mountains standing in your way. You must command those mountains to be removed by faith, and they will be removed.
one interesting thing about the shield of faith is that it can be in different sizes.
In Matthew 8:26, the Bible talks of little faith and then we have great faith in Matthew 8:10.
The size of your faith will determine how many fiery departs you can ward off. This is why Proverbs 24:10 says:
If you faint in the day of adversity, thy strength is small.
In order not to faint in the day of adversity, you must build up your faith before adversity comes.
Jude 1:20 says that you should build up your faith by praying in the Holy Ghost.
Ensure that you pray in the Holy Ghost every day. In fact, pray in the Spirit every minute, after all, that is the only way you can really pray without ceasing as instructed in Thessalonians 5:17.
Faith also comes by hearing the word of God as we see in Romans 10:17. If you want your faith to grow, you must ensure that you study your Bible every day.
Also, ensure that you listen to sermons from genuine men of God regularly; this will further help your faith grow.
One final way through which your faith can grow is through trials as the Bible says in 1 Peter 1:17.
Although, many Christians do not want to face challenges, the Bible says that you should count it all joy when you face temptations as they help you become perfect in Christ (James 1:2-4).
Key Point
Build up your faith so that you will ward off every fiery dart of the enemy.
HYMN 16: Tis So Sweet To Trust in Jesus
1 ‘Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus,
Just to take Him at His Word;
Just to rest upon His promise;
Just to know, “Thus saith the Lord.”
CHORUS
Jesus, Jesus, how I trust Him!
How I’ve proved Him o’er and o’er!
Jesus, Jesus, precious Jesus!
O for grace to trust Him more!
2 O how sweet to trust in Jesus,
Just to trust His cleansing blood;
Just in simple faith to plunge me
‘Neath the healing, cleansing flood!
3 Yes, ’tis sweet to trust in Jesus,
Just from sin and self to cease;
Just from Jesus simply taking
Life and rest, and joy and peace.
4 I’m so glad Learned to trust Thee,
Precious Jesus, Saviour, Friend,
And I know that Thou art with me,
Wilt be with me to the end.
Open Heaven For Today 2024 [Monday] Daily Devotional By Pastor E. A. Adeboye – Shoes of The Gospel
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TOPIC: Shoes of The Gospel
MEMORISE: "And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;" Psalms 34-37
READ: Isaiah 52:6-7 (KJV)
6 Therefore my people shall know my name: therefore they shall know in that day that I am he that doth speak: behold, it is I.
7 How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth!
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Psalms 34-37
Open Heaven For Today 2023 MESSAGE
In continuation of my teaching on the full armour of God, I will be discussing the third piece of armour listed in Ephesians 6:10-17. This armour is actually called the ‘shoes of the preparation of the gospel of peace’.
The first thing to note about this armour is that it implies moving around with the gospel. Your security is in your preaching of the gospel.
The more unbelievers you are able to convert to Christianity, the lesser the devil’s attacks on you will be.
Ecclesiastes 4:12 says that two are better than one, and a threefold cord is not easily broken.
When you are the only Christian in your neighbourhood or family, you are more open to attacks because everyone around you is in the opponent’s army.
However, if you win all your family members and neighbours to Christ, you will be more secure.
When the enemy tries to strike, you will have soldiers around you to come together to pray and send the devil packing.
When you are feeling weak spiritually, you will have brethren to strengthen your weak hands and lift your feeble knees (Isaiah 35:3-4).
The peace element in these shoes will give you peace as you go around preaching the gospel.
The devil will come at you with all kinds of things to scare you so that you will not preach the gospel, but when you have peace, his tricks will not work on you.
He is like a roaring lion (1 Peter 5:8) that scares people but cannot bite.
That peace is necessary as you go out to preach the gospel because you will face persecution. Also, as you preach the gospel, you are to bring peace to chaotic environments.
This is why in Luke 10:5, when Jesus sent His disciples out to preach the gospel, He said that the first thing they were to say when they got to a new place is, “Peace be unto this house.”
What you are spreading is peace, not chaos, and for anyone that receives the gospel, the first thing they will experience in their heart is peace.
Beloved, do you have your shoes of the gospel of peace? Do you win souls? Imagine how much peace will be in your country if one of the souls you have won becomes the president of your country tomorrow.
When you preach the gospel, you are doing it for your own security.
Action Point
Put on the shoes of the gospel of peace now; preach to at least one person daily
HYMN 20: Stand Up! Stand Up For Jesus
1 Stand up! stand up for Jesus!
Ye soldiers of the cross;
Lift high His royal banner,
It must not suffer loss:
From vict’ry unto vict’ry
His army shall He lead,
Till every foe is vanquished
And Christ is Lord indeed.
2 Stand up! stand up for Jesus!
The trumpet call obey;
Forth to the mighty conflict
In this His glorious day.
Ye that are men, now serve Him
Against unnumbered foes;
Let courage rise with danger.
And strength to strength oppose.
3 Stand up! stand up for Jesus!
Stand in His strength alone;
The arm of flesh will fail you;
Ye dare not trust your own.
Put on the Gospel armor,
And, watching unto prayer,
Where duty calls, or danger,
Be never wanting there.
4 Stand up! stand up for Jesus!
The strife will not be long:
This day the noise of battle,
The next the victor’s song;
To him that overcometh
A crown of life shall be;
He, with the King of glory,
Shall reign eternally.
Open Heaven For Today 2024 [Sunday] Daily Devotional By Pastor E. A. Adeboye – The Breastplate of Righteousness
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TOPIC: The Breastplate of Righteousness
MEMORISE: "He that followeth after righteousness and mercy findeth life, righteousness, and honour. Proverbs 21:21
READ: Genesis 39:6-12(KJV)
6 And he left all that he had in Joseph's hand; and he knew not ought he had, save the bread which he did eat. And Joseph was a goodly person, and well favoured.
7 And it came to pass after these things, that his master's wife cast her eyes upon Joseph; and she said, Lie with me.
8 But he refused, and said unto his master's wife, Behold, my master wotteth not what is with me in the house, and he hath committed all that he hath to my hand;
9 There is none greater in this house than I; neither hath he kept back any thing from me but thee, because thou art his wife: how then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?
10 And it came to pass, as she spake to Joseph day by day, that he hearkened not unto her, to lie by her, or to be with her.
11 And it came to pass about this time, that Joseph went into the house to do his business; and there was none of the men of the house there within.
12 And she caught him by his garment, saying, Lie with me: and he left his garment in her hand, and fled, and got him out.
READ: Genesis 41:37-44(KJV)
37 And the thing was good in the eyes of Pharaoh, and in the eyes of all his servants.
38 And Pharaoh said unto his servants, Can we find such a one as this is, a man in whom the Spirit of God is?
39 And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, Forasmuch as God hath shewed thee all this, there is none so discreet and wise as thou art:
40 Thou shalt be over my house, and according unto thy word shall all my people be ruled: only in the throne will I be greater than thou.
41 And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, See, I have set thee over all the land of Egypt.
42 And Pharaoh took off his ring from his hand, and put it upon Joseph's hand, and arrayed him in vestures of fine linen, and put a gold chain about his neck;
43 And he made him to ride in the second chariot which he had; and they cried before him, Bow the knee: and he made him ruler over all the land of Egypt.
44 And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, I am Pharaoh, and without thee shall no man lift up his hand or foot in all the land of Egypt.
Open Heaven For Today 2023 MESSAGE
Yesterday, I started a discussion on the full armour of God. Today, I will be discussing the breastplate of righteousness.
The breastplate of righteousness is the piece of armour that protects your heart.
To be righteous is to always do the right thing according to God’s standards. When you are righteous, your heart is protected against the tricks of the devil.
The moment you stop being righteous, you expose your heart to all manners of sin in the world, and this is how backsliding starts. The devil is after your heart; this is why Proverbs 4:23 says:
Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.
The devil wants to turn your heart away from God, so he suggests sin to you every now and then.
However, if your breastplate of righteousness is intact, you will not fall. The devil will present something that does not seem really bad to you.
I have always said it, if it is not really bad, it is already bad; stay away from it. If you do that which does not really seem bad, you have opened up your heart to accommodate even more sin.
Before you realise it, you will start doing things that you said you would never do again; this is how believers backslide.
Is the devil already presenting something that does not seem really bad to you, and you are already making up an excuse for yourself to do it? Desist from that thing immediately; his plan is to get you to remove your breastplate of righteousness so that your heart can become open for his attacks.
If a Christian’s breastplate is off and the devil attacks his or her heart, it is instant death. Removing every form of carnality from your life is the only way to keep your breastplate of righteousness on.
Your thoughts should dwell on spiritual things (Philippians 4:8). If your mind is drawn to carnal things rather than spiritual things, you are in a dangerous state, but when your mind is drawn to spiritual things, the temptations to be unrighteous will become less effective on you. This is why Romans 8:6 says:
For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.
Beloved, don’t let the little things of this world open you up to spiritual death. If something seems bad, stay away because it will only lead to spiritual death.
Key Point
Guard your heart with all diligence.
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 [Saturday] Daily Devotional By Pastor E. A. Adeboye – The Belt of Truth
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TOPIC: The Belt of Truth
MEMORISE: "Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;" Ephesians 6:14
READ: Ephesians 6:10-17(KJV)
10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.
11 Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
14 Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;
15 And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;
16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.
17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:
Open Heaven For Today 2023 MESSAGE
Over the next few days, I will like to discuss the importance of the full armour of God listed in Ephesians 6:10-17.
The first piece of armour listed is the belt of truth because it is the most important.
John 17:17 tells us that the word of God is truth.
Jesus Christ is the Truth (John 14:6). You are to tie the truth around your waist and have it hold everything else you wear and own together.
Those who live by the truth win the battles of life because the truth makes it impossible for them to be captives of anything the world has to offer (John 8:32).
The truth will give you a perspective far greater than that of the world (Psalms 119:100).
This is why you should live your life according to God’s word.
When you do this, everyone will see you as wise because you will excel in everything that you do and be above your peers who do not know the truth.
The devil is the father of lies (John 8:44); he will try to lie to you and twist the truth every now and then.
This is why you must know the truth so you won’t fall for his tricks. In Genesis 3:5, he suggested to Eve that she was not yet like God even though Genesis 1:27 says that she was made in His image and likeness.
Eve ate the forbidden fruit because she did not really know the truth.
In Matthew 4:3, the devil told Jesus to turn stone into bread if He was really the Son of God.
Jesus did not fall for that because He was sure that He is the Son of God.
If you don’t really know the truth, the devil will deceive you, and once he does that, your belt of truth, which holds all your other armour in place, will be gone, making you vulnerable to attacks from the enemy.
Don’t expect the devil to come with a black cloth and horns on his head; sometimes, he disguises himself like an angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:14).
He can tell you that the grace of God covers all sins and that you can keep sinning and still go to heaven.
He can come up with logical reasons to tell you that God doesn’t exist or that He is wicked and doesn’t love you.
These are lies that the devil has used to strip people of their belt of truth in the past. Don’t fall for his tricks.
Key Point
The word of God is the truth, anything outside it is a lie – don’t fall for it!
HYMN 3: Ancient Words
1. Holy words long preserved
For our walk in this world
They resound with God’s own heart
Oh, let the ancient words impart
Chorus
Ancient words ever true
Changing me and changing you
We have come with open hearts
Oh, let the ancient words impart
2. Words of Life, words of Hope
Give us strength, help us cope
In this world, where e’er we roam
Ancient words will guide us home
3. Holy words of our Faith
Handed down to this age
Came to us through sacrifice
Oh heed the faithful words of Christ
4. Holy words long preserved
For our walk in this world
They resound with God’s own heart
Oh let the ancient words impart
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