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.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Psalms 22-27
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:
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Psalms 22-27
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
Open Heaven For Today 2024 [Friday] Daily Devotional By Pastor E. A. Adeboye – Prayers For Youths
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TOPIC: Prayers For Youths
MEMORISE: "Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity". 1 Timothy 4:12
READ: Ecclesiastes 12:1-5(KJV)
1 Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them;
2 While the sun, or the light, or the moon, or the stars, be not darkened, nor the clouds return after the rain:
3 In the day when the keepers of the house shall tremble, and the strong men shall bow themselves, and the grinders cease because they are few, and those that look out of the windows be darkened,
4 And the doors shall be shut in the streets, when the sound of the grinding is low, and he shall rise up at the voice of the bird, and all the daughters of musick shall be brought low;
5 Also when they shall be afraid of that which is high, and fears shall be in the way, and the almond tree shall flourish, and the grasshopper shall be a burden, and desire shall fail: because man goeth to his long home, and the mourners go about the streets:
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Psalms 18-21
Open Heaven 7 June 2024 MESSAGE:
1. Father, thank you for the youths. I am grateful for your unconditional love, blessings, and kindness to the youths.
2. Father, please increase your love in the hearts of the youths. Let them love you far more than anyone or anything in this world, in Jesus’ name.
3. Father, please guide and protect the youths from the path of destruction. Don’t let the devil deceive them into walking the wrong path in life, show them the path of life and give them the grace to walk in it.
4. Father, please frustrate every agenda of the enemy to corrupt the youths and destroy the future of the church, in Jesus’ name.
5. Father, please set the youths free from every curse or battle inherited from their parents, in Jesus’ name.
6. Father, please anoint the youths with your special anointing for exploits. Let them excel in everything that they do and stand out in their fields of practice, in Jesus’ name.
Also Read: Open Heaven 6 June 2024 – Sufferings For Christ Cry Out
7. Father, please make all the youths productive in the society. Settle them with good jobs and thriving businesses, and make them useful to themselves and their families, in Jesus’ name.
8 Father, please give the youths the grace to live holy in this perverse world. Don’t let them fall for the tricks and temptations of the devil to sin, in Jesus’ name.
9. Father, please give the youths in the church the grace to do your work even at their young age. Let them become evangelists, pastors and ministers that will do far greater works than their fathers, in Jesus’ name.
10. Father, please answer the prayers of the youths according to your will. Encourage them to draw closer to you, in Jesus’ name.
11. Father, please don’t let the youths repeat any mistakes that their parents have made. Give them the grace to break negative generational patterns, in Jesus’ name.
12. Your personal prayer points for the youths around you.
Open Heaven 7 June 2024 HYMN 1: All Hail The Power of Jesus' Name
Let angels prostrate fall.
Bring forth the royal diadem,
and crown him Lord of all.
Bring forth the royal diadem,
and crown him Lord of all!
2 Let highborn seraphs tune the lyre,
and as they tune it, fall
Before His face Who tunes their choir,
and crown Him Lord of all.
Before His face Who tunes their choir,
and crown Him Lord of all.
3 Crown Him, ye morning stars of light,
Who fixed this floating ball;
Now hail the strength of Israel’s might,
and crown Him Lord of all.
Now hail the strength of Israel’s might,
and crown Him Lord of all.
4 Crown Him, ye martyrs of your God,
Who from His altar call;
Extol the stem of Jesse’s Rod,
and crown Him Lord of all.
Extol the stem of Jesse’s Rod,
and crown Him Lord of all.
5 Ye seed of Israel’s chosen race,
ye ransomed from the fall,
Hail Him who saves you by his grace,
and crown Him Lord of all.
Hail Him who saves you by his grace,
and crown Him Lord of all!
6 Hail Him, ye heirs of David’s line,
Whom David Lord did call,
The God incarnate, Man divine,
and crown Him Lord of all.
The God incarnate, Man divine,
and crown Him Lord of all.
7 Sinners, whose love can ne’er forget
the wormwood and the gall,
Go spread your trophies at His feet,
and crown Him Lord of all.
Go spread your trophies at His feet,
and crown Him Lord of all.
8 Let every tribe and every tongue
before Him prostrate fall,
And shout in universal song,
and crown him Lord of all.
And shout in universal song,
and crown him Lord of all.
Open Heaven For Today 2024 [Thursday] Daily Devotional By Pastor E. A. Adeboye – Sufferings For Christ
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TOPIC: Sufferings For Christ
MEMORISE: "For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake;" Philippians 1:29
READ: 1 Peter 4:12-19 (KJV)
12 Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you:
13 But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.
14 If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified.
15 But let none of you suffer as a murderer, or as a thief, or as an evildoer, or as a busybody in other men's matters.
16 Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf.
17 For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?
18 And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?
19 Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to him in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Psalms 9-17
Open Heaven For Today 2023 MESSAGE
Jesus said in Luke 9:23:
… If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.
If you will truly follow Christ, you must be ready to suffer for His sake. No one follows Christ without taking up his or her cross.
An evangelist might have told you to just give your life to Christ and everything will be beautiful.
That is true, everything in your life will indeed be more beautiful because you have given your life to Christ.
However, there will still be some suffering. Jesus Christ said that when we come to Him, He will take our heavy yokes from us, but He never said that He will leave us without a yoke.
Rather, in Matthew 11:29-30, He said:
Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.
Jesus said that He will give us His own yoke to carry.
His yoke is lighter than the one we were carrying before we got born again, but it is still a yoke.
The reason many people fall when temptations come is that they were not prepared to suffer for Christ.
You must be so determined to follow Christ that you literally say, “If I perish, I perish!” (Esther
4:16). When you do this, your strength will be great, and you will not faint in the day of adversity (Proverbs 24:10).
Those that do not faint in the day of adversity always enjoy great benefits when the adversity is over.
In Genesis 39, after all that Joseph had gone through in the hands of his brothers, the biggest test of his life came; the wife of his master wanted him to lay with her.
He said, “How can I do this thing and sin against God?” (Genesis 39:9). He was willing to face whatever consequence will come with Him following and obeying God.
He went to jail, but as soon as God saw that he carried His yoke willingly, He arranged for him to meet Pharaoh, and by the time we get to Genesis 41, he had become the Prime Minister of the greatest nation on earth at that time.
Your destiny depends on the answer to this question: are you ready to suffer for Christ?
Prayer Point
Father, please give me the grace not to faint in the day of adversity. Let me carry your yoke until the end, in Jesus’ name
HYMN 12: Onward Christian Soldiers!
1 Onward, Christian soldiers,
marching as to war,
With the cross of Jesus
going on before!
Christ, the royal Master,
leads against the foe;
Forward into battle,
see his banner go!
Refrain:
Onward, Christian soldiers,
marching as to war,
With the cross of Jesus
going on before!
2 At the sign of triumph
Satan’s host doth flee;
On, then, Christian soldiers,
on to victory!
Hell’s foundations quiver
at the shout of praise;
Brothers, lift your voices,
loud your anthems raise!
3 Like a mighty army
moves the church of God;
Brothers, we are treading
where the saints have trod;
We are not divided;
all one body we,
One in hope and doctrine,
one in charity.
4 Onward, then, ye people,
join our happy throng,
Blend with ours your voices
in the triumph song;
Glory, laud, and honor,
unto Christ the King;
This thro’ countless ages
men and angels sing.
5 Onward, then, ye people!
Join our happy throng;
Blend with ours your voices
In the triumph song.
Glory, laud and honor
Unto Christ, the King;
This through countless ages
Men and angels sing.
Open Heavens 5 June 2024 Wednesday Daily Devotional By Pastor E. A. Adeboye – When God Wants To Bless You
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MEMORISE: "And he said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of". Genesis 22:2
READ: 1 Kings 17:8-16(KJV)
8 And the word of the Lord came unto him, saying,
9 Arise, get thee to Zarephath, which belongeth to Zidon, and dwell there: behold, I have commanded a widow woman there to sustain thee.
10 So he arose and went to Zarephath. And when he came to the gate of the city, behold, the widow woman was there gathering of sticks: and he called to her, and said, Fetch me, I pray thee, a little water in a vessel, that I may drink.
11 And as she was going to fetch it, he called to her, and said, Bring me, I pray thee, a morsel of bread in thine hand.
12 And she said, As the Lord thy God liveth, I have not a cake, but an handful of meal in a barrel, and a little oil in a cruse: and, behold, I am gathering two sticks, that I may go in and dress it for me and my son, that we may eat it, and die.
13 And Elijah said unto her, Fear not; go and do as thou hast said: but make me thereof a little cake first, and bring it unto me, and after make for thee and for thy son.
14 For thus saith the Lord God of Israel, The barrel of meal shall not waste, neither shall the cruse of oil fail, until the day that the Lord sendeth rain upon the earth.
15 And she went and did according to the saying of Elijah: and she, and he, and her house, did eat many days.
16 And the barrel of meal wasted not, neither did the cruse of oil fail, according to the word of the Lord, which he spake by Elijah.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Psalms 1-8
Open Heaven For Today 2023 MESSAGE
In today’s Bible reading, Elijah came to the widow of Zarephath, who had only one meal left.
The Bible says in Luke 4:25-26 that there were many widows in the land, but Elijah was only sent to her.
This is because God had chosen to bless her with supernatural provision.
Even though God had chosen to bless her, she needed to give something to bring the blessing into manifestation.
When Elijah asked for her last meal, she could have said,
“You want to take the last meal out of the mouth of a widow and her son? And you call yourself a man of God.”
However, she obeyed and brought the meal to Elijah, and from that moment on, lack became a thing of the past in her family.
God is the owner of heaven and earth; He can get whatever He needs without the help of any human being.
He said in Psalms 50:10-12 that if He was hungry, He could eat any of the cattle on a thousand hills because they are His. However, as great as He is,
He sometimes requests that a man should give Him something. When He does this, it is because He has chosen to bless that man.
God could have provided for Elijah in any way; He had been feeding him for months using birds.
In 1 Kings 19:4-8, when Elijah was hungry, an angel brought food and water, so when the brook dried up, God could have sent angels to feed him.
It was not Elijah that needed help, it was the widow of Zarephath; she was the one in serious need. When God decides to meet your need, I pray that you will not resist His will.
In 2 Kings 4:8-17, you will see the story of the great woman of Shunem. She saw the man of God passing by, and God moved her to invite him to eat. Elisha refused, but the Bible says that she constrained him.
Something within her said,
“Don’t let that man of God go until you have blessed him.”
Elisha ate the meal and kept coming back for more.
She kept feeding him and even built an apartment for him. Then one day, God put an end to her barrenness when Elisha prayed for her.
God prompted her to do the things she did, and although they cost her money, she got what money couldn’t buy in return.
May you cooperate with God on the day He decides to bless you, in Jesus’ name.
Prayer Point
Father, please let me do what I need to do to receive my blessings, in Jesus’ name.
HYMN 26: There Shall Be Showers Of Blessing
1 There shall be showers of blessing:
This is the promise of love;
There shall be seasons refreshing,
Sent from the Saviour above.
Refrain:
Showers of blessing,
Showers of blessing we need;
Mercy drops round us are falling,
But for the showers we plead.
2 There shall be showers of blessing,
Precious reviving again;
Over the hills and the valleys,
Sound of abundance of rain.
3 There shall be showers of blessing:
Send them upon us, O Lord!
Grant to us now a refreshing;
Come, and now honour Thy Word.
4 There shall be showers of blessing,
Oh, that to-day they might fall,
Now, as to God, we’re confessing.
Now as on Jesus we call!
Open Heaven For Today 2024 Tuesday Daily Devotional By Pastor E. A. Adeboye – Elders, Raise The Youths
Click HERE for Previous Open Heaven Devotional
TOPIC: Elders, Raise The Youths
MEMORISE: "And every one that was in distress, and every one that was in debt, and every one that was discontented, gathered themselves unto him; and he became a captain over them: and there were with him about four hundred men". 1 Samuel 22:2
READ: 2 Samuel 23:14-17(KJV)
14 And David was then in an hold, and the garrison of the Philistines was then in Bethlehem.
15 And David longed, and said, Oh that one would give me drink of the water of the well of Bethlehem, which is by the gate!
16 And the three mighty men brake through the host of the Philistines, and drew water out of the well of Bethlehem, that was by the gate, and took it, and brought it to David: nevertheless he would not drink thereof, but poured it out unto the Lord.
17 And he said, Be it far from me, O Lord, that I should do this: is not this the blood of the men that went in jeopardy of their lives? therefore he would not drink it. These things did these three mighty men.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Job 39-42
Open Heaven For Today 2023 MESSAGE
When people are young, they feel like they can carry the world on their shoulders.
They move with strength and keep surmounting mountains.
A time will come, however, when they will no longer be able to do the things they normally do.
At that time, when they are old, they will need young people to help them.
If they had been preparing younger people, they would have no problems, but if they had kept their secrets and resources to themselves, there would be no one to help them.
When I was approaching the age of 60, many people were rejoicing, preparing for a huge celebration.
At that time, as far as they were concerned, RCCG had done well as we were in about 50 nations of the world.
Meanwhile, I was in agony because I knew that at 60, my afternoon was almost over, and my evening was about to set in.
I was crying to my God one night, pacing up and down, saying, “Lord, what am I going to do now?
You told my father in the Lord that RCCG is going to spread throughout the world, and I believed that it was going to happen in my lifetime.
Now, my sun is about to set, look at where I am and help me.” Then God spoke,
“Son, I determine when the sun will set.”
Thank God, over two decades later, my sun has not set yet.
We are where we are today because God taught me how to prepare for the evening.
As at the time I am writing this, RCCG is in 197 countries and this includes some nations I have never been to.
However, my children are there; people who sat, learned, and were equipped by God through me.
I am not resting on my oars, I am making more preparations, working harder than ever before.
This is why at least three times in a year, during the Holy Ghost Services, I pick teenagers and young people in their twenties to preach on the altar, discovering new talents, and encouraging and preparing them for tomorrow.
If you are elderly, do yourself a favour, bring forth the youth, prepare and equip them, give them opportunities to lead, and send them out to get established, so that when you grow old, there will be people behind you to say,
"Well done, we have your back".
Key Point
As you press towards achieving your goals, ensure that you’re raising the young as well.
HYMN 4: To The Work! To The Work! We Are Servants of God
1 To the work! to the work! we are servants of God,
Let us follow the path that our Master has trod;
With the might of His power our strength to renew,
Let us do by His grace what He calls us to do.
Work for Him by His grace;
Work thru Him for His praise;
Work with Him all the days;
And work in Him in many ways.
2 To the work! to the work! let the hungry be fed;
To the fountain of life let the thirsty be led;
In the cross and its vict’ry our glory shall be,
While we herald the tidings, “Salvation is free!”
3 To the work! to the work! in the strength of the Lord,
By the pow’r of His Name, with the light of His Word,
All the slaves of the darkness of Satan set free
And His riches of grace in His glory we’ll see.
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