Open Heaven For Today 2024 Monday Daily Devotional By Pastor E. A. Adeboye – Handling Failure
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TOPIC: Handling Failure
MEMORISE: "We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair"; 2 Corinthians 4:8
READ: Judges 20:18-35 (KJV)
18 And the children of Israel arose, and went up to the house of God, and asked counsel of God, and said, Which of us shall go up first to the battle against the children of Benjamin? And the Lord said, Judah shall go up first.
19 And the children of Israel rose up in the morning, and encamped against Gibeah.
20 And the men of Israel went out to battle against Benjamin; and the men of Israel put themselves in array to fight against them at Gibeah.
21 And the children of Benjamin came forth out of Gibeah, and destroyed down to the ground of the Israelites that day twenty and two thousand men.
22 And the people the men of Israel encouraged themselves, and set their battle again in array in the place where they put themselves in array the first day.
23 (And the children of Israel went up and wept before the Lord until even, and asked counsel of the Lord, saying, Shall I go up again to battle against the children of Benjamin my brother? And the Lord said, Go up against him.)
24 And the children of Israel came near against the children of Benjamin the second day.
25 And Benjamin went forth against them out of Gibeah the second day, and destroyed down to the ground of the children of Israel again eighteen thousand men; all these drew the sword.
26 Then all the children of Israel, and all the people, went up, and came unto the house of God, and wept, and sat there before the Lord, and fasted that day until even, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the Lord.
27 And the children of Israel enquired of the Lord, (for the ark of the covenant of God was there in those days,
28 And Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, stood before it in those days,) saying, Shall I yet again go out to battle against the children of Benjamin my brother, or shall I cease? And the Lord said, Go up; for to morrow I will deliver them into thine hand.
29 And Israel set liers in wait round about Gibeah.
30 And the children of Israel went up against the children of Benjamin on the third day, and put themselves in array against Gibeah, as at other times.
31 And the children of Benjamin went out against the people, and were drawn away from the city; and they began to smite of the people, and kill, as at other times, in the highways, of which one goeth up to the house of God, and the other to Gibeah in the field, about thirty men of Israel.
32 And the children of Benjamin said, They are smitten down before us, as at the first. But the children of Israel said, Let us flee, and draw them from the city unto the highways.
33 And all the men of Israel rose up out of their place, and put themselves in array at Baaltamar: and the liers in wait of Israel came forth out of their places, even out of the meadows of Gibeah.
34 And there came against Gibeah ten thousand chosen men out of all Israel, and the battle was sore: but they knew not that evil was near them.
35 And the Lord smote Benjamin before Israel: and the children of Israel destroyed of the Benjamites that day twenty and five thousand and an hundred men: all these drew the sword.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Jeremiah 50
Open Heaven 19 August 2024 MESSAGE:
The way people respond to failures determines whether they will eventually live in victory or not.
Failure is not as bad as people paint it to be; it does not signify the end, but it is a signal to try again using a different method.
Almost all scientific breakthroughs result from failure. If most scientists became sad and stopped after the first time they failed, they would never have had breakthroughs.
Every successful person you see is a product of many failures. If you try today and fail, rise up and try again in a different way.
As long as you are sure that what you are doing is in line with the will of God, don’t give up on it; keep trying until you succeed.
In today’s Bible reading, the Israelites asked God if they should go to battle against the Benjamites and if they would win.
God told them to fight and that they would win. However, when they got to the battlefield, they were defeated.
The question on their minds would have been,
“Did God deceive us?”
They refused to give up, got themselves together, and went to ask God again if they should return to battle the Benjamites.
God told them to go, and once again, the Benjamites defeated them.
At that point, giving up would have seemed reasonable; they had already lost 40,000 men, and it looked as if God, the only one they could trust, was deceiving them.
If they had given up, they would have been commended for trying, but they did not give up. They went back to God, and this time, they fasted and gave offerings to God.
They asked again if they should return to fight the Benjamites, and God said that they should go.
They went, and as you read in the story, they used a different strategy and were able to defeat the Benjamites. Don’t give up; your breakthrough is probably just around the corner. Try once again.
When next you encounter failure, ask yourself,
“Why is God letting me go through this?”
If you have been consistent with your prayer life and walk with God, ask, “What can I learn from this experience?
What is God trying to teach me with this failure? Are there other strategies to achieve my goal?”
If you answer these questions sincerely, you will draw valuable lessons that will help you achieve success the next time you try.
Key Point
Failure is only a signal to try again using a different method unless God says otherwise.
HYMN 21: Standing On The Promises of Christ My King
1 Standing on the promises of Christ, my King,
Through eternal ages let his praises ring;
Glory in the highest, I will shout and sing,
Standing on the promises of God.
Refrain:
Standing, standing,
Standing on the promises of God, my Savior;
Standing, standing,
I’m standing on the promises of God.
2 Standing on the promises that cannot fail.
When the howling storms of doubt and fear assail,
By the living Word of God I shall prevail,
Standing on the promises of God. [Refrain]
3 Standing on the promises of Christ, the Lord,
Bound to him eternally by love’s strong cord,
Overcoming daily with the Spirit’s sword,
Standing on the promises of God. [Refrain]
4 Standing on the promises I cannot fall,
List’ning ev’ry moment to the Spirit’s call,
Resting in my Savior as my all in all,
Standing on the promises of God. [Refrain]
Open Heaven For Today 2024 Sunday Daily Devotional By Pastor E. A. Adeboye – Under Your Feet
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TOPIC: Under Your Feet
MEMORISE: "And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus": Ephesians 2:6
READ: Proverbs 16:16-18 (KJV)
16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.
17 And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;
18 They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.
READ: Ephesians 1:18-23(KJV)
18 The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,
19 And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power,
20 Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places,
21 Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come:
22 And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church,
23 Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Jeremiah 47-48
Open Heaven For Today 2023 MESSAGE
There was a man in my village called Kaka, who was the leader of the occultists. It was generally believed that he single-handedly protected the town from all forms of evil, and he was feared by all.
When we wanted to open the RCCG parish in my village, the place we found suitable for a rally was close to Kaka’s house.
Surprisingly, when an altar call was made during the rally, Kaka came out of his house to give his life to Christ – he had been listening to the worship session and sermon.
Later that night, he came to my Father in the Lord, Pa Josiah Akindayomi, and said,
“The way you spoke about your God, He must be really powerful.”
Papa said,
“Very, very powerful.”
Kaka said,
“In that case, now that I have given my life to Jesus, I would need help with an idol in my house called shigidi.It is an effigy that has been in my family for generations and that we send out at night when we want to kill someone. It is so dangerous that we must not sleep until it returns, and we must kill a ram to welcome it. Upon its return, it will step on the ram’s blood and drink it. Thereafter, it will return to its position and become just like an ordinary effigy. I am afraid of the trouble that might follow if I throw shigidi away.”
Papa decided to send me over to remove the effigy.
I went to Kaka’s house with the pastor of our parish in ilesha and a church worker that I thought to be a strong prayer warrior.
When Kaka saw me, he felt sorry for me,
“Ahhh, Adeboye’s son, you are the one they sent?”
When my colleagues saw shigidi, they ran out of the house, leaving me alone with the effigy.
It was smeared with blood and adorned with all manner of charms. I said a prayer, broke the effigy into pieces, removed the shrine in front of the house, and threw everything into a river.
After three weeks, I returned to my village and visited Kaka at home. When he saw me, he shouted, “You are still alive?!” That was 1975. I am still alive almost five decades after.
Beloved, the devil and his demons are under the feet of even the smallest child of God.
You are a part of the body of Christ, and Ephesians 1:21 says that Christ is seated far above all principality and powers.
Key Point
Never ever be afraid of demons that you can trample under your feet.
HYMN 1: All Hail The Power Of Jesus
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 Saturday Daily Devotional By Pastor E. A. Adeboye – Prayer Contaminants
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TOPIC: Prayer Contaminants
MEMORISE: "Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof". Proverbs 18:21
READ: Proverbs 18:20-21 (KJV)
20 A man’s belly shall be satisfied with the fruit of his mouth; and with the increase of his lips shall he be filled.
21 Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.
Open Heaven For Today 2023 MESSAGE
Certain things can contaminate our prayers, such that they weaken our prayers and their possible results. One such thing is speaking words that are against what we are praying for.
When you pray about your country, for example, and later join others in saying that nothing good can come out of that same country, you have contaminated your prayer already.
Don’t pray for God to give life to something and then turn around to speak death into that same thing; you will not get results from such a prayer.
Joel 3:10 says,
“Let the weak say, ‘I am strong!’”
In other words, if you have prayed for strength, but can still see traces of weakness in you, at that point, say,
“I am strong”.
As your words go in line with your prayers, they will remain potent enough to deliver the results you seek.
When you pray about something, it is important that your words and thoughts agree with your prayer. This way, you will not stand in the way of the answer to your prayer.
Another thing that contaminates prayers is a lack of concentration while praying. This is when people pray, but their hearts are not in the prayer.
Rather, their minds are occupied with other things. The devil knows that if your mind is distracted while praying, your prayer will not carry as much power as it should.
Therefore, whenever you decide to pray, he will begin to remind you of things you are yet to do and places that you ought to have gone to.
His plan is to occupy your mind with other things so that you will become distracted and lose your concentration as you pray.
Whenever you find your mind wandering while praying, write down the things that you ought to have done, put the note aside, and continue to pray.
Train your mind to keep all distractions away, and don’t give room for them to disturb your connection to God in the place of prayer.
With time, as you continually train your mind, you will get good at focusing on God while praying.
Key Point
If you want your prayers to remain potent and powerful enough to deliver results, make sure they are not contaminated.
HYMN 3: Ancient Words
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 – Prayer Extinguishers III
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TOPIC: Prayer Extinguishers III
MEMORISE: "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". James 1:6
READ: James 1:5-8 (KJV)
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.
7 For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord.
8 A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.
Open Heaven For Today 2023 MESSAGE
Today, I will conclude my discussion on some of the factors that can extinguish prayers. Some people get almost everything right in the place of prayer but miss out on just one thing – faith.
Today’s memory verse says that believers should always make their requests to God in faith without having any doubts in their hearts.
The next verse directly addresses anyone who makes requests from God without faith:
For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord. James 1:7
When you pray without faith, that prayer is dead on arrival.
Hebrews 11:6 says that without faith, it is impossible to please God. Believers cannot expect God to answer their prayers when He is not pleased with them.
God requires that you have faith in Him when you ask Him for something. Luke 17:6 says that even if your faith is as little as a mustard seed, God will use it to move mountains on your behalf.
If your child asks you for food and then looks at you in such a way that says,
“I know you will not give me; you probably don’t even have it,”
you will feel insulted.
This is what we do when we ask God for things that we are not really expecting Him to give to us.
When you come to God in faith, you come knowing without a doubt that what you have asked of Him is already done.
You bring your requests with thanksgiving (Philippians 4:6) because you know that your prayer has already been answered.
The moment you pray, your hands are already stretched out to God, expecting what you asked for.
This is how to pray; it is the kind of prayer that God cannot ignore. Hebrews 11:1 says that faith is the evidence of things not seen.
In other words, when you have faith, even though you have not seen what you are asking for, you will be so sure that you have it that you can present it in court as evidence to any judge, telling them,
“See what ! have.”
For a long time, I tried by my own power to increase my faith, but it was difficult. Then, I read Mark 9:24, where a man cried to Jesus, saying that he believes but that Jesus should help his unbelief.
In minutes, what Jesus was asking him to believe for was done. I also started praying that God should help my faith, and I have seen my faith grow tremendously since then.
If you pray the same prayer, Jesus will give your faith a boost, and you will be able to overcome unbelief.
Prayer Point
Lord, I believe in you; please help my faith.
HYMN 10: In Christ Alone
1 In Christ alone, my hope is found
He is my light, my strength, my song
This Cornerstone, this solid ground
Firm through the fiercest drought and storm
What heights of love, what depths of peace
When fears are stilled, when strivings cease
My Comforter, my All in All
Here in the love of Christ I stand
2 In Christ alone, who took on flesh
Fullness of God in helpless babe
This gift of love and righteousness
Scorned by the ones He came to save
‘Til on that cross as Jesus died
The wrath of God was satisfied
For every sin on Him was laid
Here in the death of Christ I live, I live
3 There in the ground His body lay
Light of the world by darkness slain
Then bursting forth in glorious Day
Up from the grave He rose again
And as He stands in victory
Sin’s curse has lost its grip on me
For I am His and He is mine
Bought with the precious blood of Christ
4 No guilt in life, no fear in death
This is the power of Christ in me
From life’s first cry to final breath
Jesus commands my destiny
No power of hell, no scheme of man
Can ever pluck me from His hand
Till He returns or calls me home
Here in the power of Christ I’ll stand
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