Open Heaven For Today 2024 Saturday Daily Devotional By Pastor E. A. Adeboye – Be Merciful
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TOPIC: Be Merciful
MEMORISE: Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy. Matthew 5:7
READ: Matthew 18:21-35 (KJV)
21 Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times?
22 Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven.
23 Therefore is the kingdom of heaven likened unto a certain king, which would take account of his servants.
24 And when he had begun to reckon, one was brought unto him, which owed him ten thousand talents.
25 But forasmuch as he had not to pay, his lord commanded him to be sold, and his wife, and children, and all that he had, and payment to be made.
26 The servant therefore fell down, and worshipped him, saying, Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay thee all.
27 Then the lord of that servant was moved with compassion, and loosed him, and forgave him the debt.
28 But the same servant went out, and found one of his fellowservants, which owed him an hundred pence: and he laid hands on him, and took him by the throat, saying, Pay me that thou owest.
29 And his fellowservant fell down at his feet, and besought him, saying, Have patience with me, and I will pay thee all.
30 And he would not: but went and cast him into prison, till he should pay the debt.
31 So when his fellowservants saw what was done, they were very sorry, and came and told unto their lord all that was done.
32 Then his lord, after that he had called him, said unto him, O thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou desiredst me:
33 Shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellowservant, even as I had pity on thee?
34 And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him.
35 So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Mark 1-3
Open Heaven For Today 2023 MESSAGE
Many people ask God for mercy, but when God looks into their lives and sees that they don't show mercy to others around them, He withholds His mercy. From our memory verse today, you will realize that if you are merciful to others, you will enjoy God's mercy.
Psalms 130:3 says that if God was to count our iniquities, we will not stand. It is only by His mercy that we are still alive, and if we are wise, we will also have mercy on those around us.
In our Bible reading for today, Jesus Christ told the story of a man who owned the king ten thousand telents. The king commanded that he and his family be sold in order to pay the debt, but the man asked for mercy, and the king forgave him of the debt. The same man went out and saw someone that owned him hundred pence.
His debtor begged him for little more time to pay his debt, but this man refused to forgive the debtor and locked him in prison. The king heard about it, withdrew his mercy, and gave the unmerciful servant to tormentors. Proverbs 11:17 says:
The merciful man doeth good to his own soul: but he that is cruel troubleth his own flesh.
The sripture above says that when you are merciful, you are doing good to your self, but if you are cruel, you are hurting yourself because your cruelty will only rob you of the mercies of God.
In John 14:23, Jesus said if you love Him, His Father will love you, and both of them will come and dwell in you. How do you show God that you love Him? 1 John 4:21 says that if you love God, then you must love your brother.
Love your neighbour like yourself because you cannot say you love God and hate your neighbour. If you decide not to love your neighbour, you are telling God that you don't need His love. Galatians 6:7 says:
Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.
Whatever you sow is what you will reap. If you sow mercy into his lives of others, you will reap mercy. However, if you decide to sow unforgiveness, then do not complain when you reap unforgiveness (Job 4:8).
Action Point
Be merciful to everyone.
HYMN 23: Take My Life And Let It Be
1 Take my life and let it be
consecrated, Lord, to thee.
Take my moments and my days;
let them flow in endless praise,
let them flow in endless praise.
2 Take my hands and let them move
at the impulse of thy love.
Take my feet and let them be
swift and beautiful for thee,
swift and beautiful for thee.
3 Take my voice and let me sing
always, only, for my King.
Take my lips and let them be
filled with messages from thee,
filled with messages from thee.
4 Take my silver and my gold;
not a mite would I withhold.
Take my intellect and use
every power as thou shalt choose,
every power as thou shalt choose.
5 Take my will and make it thine;
it shall be no longer mine.
Take my heart it is thine own;
it shall be thy royal throne,
it shall be thy royal throne.
6 Take my love; my Lord, I pour
at thy feet its treasure store.
Take myself, and I will be
ever, only, all for thee,
ever, only, all for thee.
Open Heaven For Today 2024 Friday Daily Devotional By Pastor E. A. Adeboye – Committing God
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TOPIC: Committing God
MEMORISE: I will worship toward thy holy temple, and praise thy name for thy lovingkindness and for thy truth: for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name. Psalm 138:2
READ: Isaiah 40:4-8 (KJV)
4 Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low: and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain:
5 And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.
6 The voice said, Cry. And he said, What shall I cry? All flesh is grass, and all the goodliness thereof is as the flower of the field:
7 The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: because the spirit of the Lord bloweth upon it: surely the people is grass.
8 The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever.
Open Heaven For Today 2023 MESSAGE
Do you know that it is possible to commit God to do some things for you and leave Him with no choice but to do them? Psalm 115:3 says that God is sovereign, He does as He pleases, but if you know Him well, you can position yourself such that the Almighty will do what you want.
Going by today’s memory verse, if you can find what God’s word says about what you want and align yourself with it, He will be committed to doing His part. For example, Psalm 75:6-7 says that promotion comes from God. 1 Samuel 2:7-8 also says that God decides whom to raise and whom to bring down.
Since you know this, the question now becomes,
“How do I get God to promote me?”
The answer is in 1 Peter 5:6: Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time:
Therefore, if you notice that it seems like it is taking a long time for God to promote you, then you can make up your mind to be humble. Once you are humble, He will be committed to exalting you in order to fulfil His word.
Proverbs 22:29 says that if you are diligent in your business, you will stand before kings. Proverbs 12:24 also says that the hand of the diligent shall bear rule. Therefore, if you want to get to the very top, you must add diligence to your humility, and in line with God’s word, He will raise you so high that you will be in the category of kings. You can get God to do what you want if you do what He wants.
The devil, however, also knows this principle. When he doesn’t want God to do something for you, he tempts you to do something wrong so that he can accuse you before God and commit God not to bless
you. This is why Revelation 12:10 calls him the accuser of the brethren. He knows that God will not go against His word, so he tempts you into committing sin and accuses you before God. This is why it is foolish to obey the one who has decided to destroy you by committing sin. When next the devil tempts you, tell him,
“I refuse to be a fool.”
Beloved, never give the devil the opportunity to use God’s word against you, rather, use God’s word to your favour by always praying according to His will.
Reflection
Are you doing the things that will commit God to bless you and answer your prayers?
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 Wednesday Daily Devotional By Pastor E. A. Adeboye – The Meaning Of Life
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TOPIC: The Meaning Of Life
MEMORISE: And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst. John 6:35
READ: John 10:9-10 (KJV)
9 I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.
10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.
Open Heaven For Today 2023 MESSAGE
Many people have sought to find out the real meaning and essence of life. I have discovered that the only thing that gives life meaning is a relationship with Jesus Christ. Without Christ, life has no meaning. Without Christ, a man is like a boat, rocked back and forth by the waves of this world.
He may pursue a variety of personal objectives, amass wealth, achieve success in one field or the other, or gain pleasure in one thing or another, but soon he will discover that they are all momentary and unsatisfying without Christ. No matter how rich you become, Ecclesiastes 5:10 says that money doesn’t satisfy. In Christ, you have everything you need for life and godliness (2 Peter 1:3).
In Ephesians 2:1, Apostle Paul referred to those without Christ as being ‘dead in trespasses and sins’. He said in verse 3 that they fulfil the desires of the flesh, and if anyone has lived long enough, he or she would have discovered that the desires of the flesh do not bring satisfaction. At the end of the day, what people need to gain the joy that they seek is to satisfy the burning desire to connect with their Maker, the Lord Jesus Christ.
Until that is done, they will always feel empty. Cars, awards, titles, and all the money in this world can never fill that void in their hearts. Until they have a relationship with Christ, their lives will remain meaningless. This is why when people become born again, all of a sudden, they feel this inner peace that cannot be explained. What follows after is joy. Life now suddenly has a meaning.
Beloved, make Christ your top priority. Don’t trade Him for money or anything else because it will profit you nothing if you gain the whole world and lose your soul (Matthew 16:26). People who do not have Christ will not only live a life of depression and chaos on earth, but they will also suffer for eternity in hell.
The worst thing about hell is not the unquenchable fire and undying worms that will torture its occupants (Mark 9:48); it is the eternal separation from God and the regret of choosing to continue in sin despite hearing several messages of God’s salvation. Save yourself from that torment by giving your life to Christ now if you haven’t done so, and ensure you live holy henceforth.
NOTE: If you are born again, you can make this message into a tract. Put the contact details of any RCCG parish at the back of the tract so that people who read it can have a minister of God to call for counselling and prayers. Use it to win souls to Christ.
Key Point
A life without Christ is empty.
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
Open Heaven For Today 2024 Tuesday Daily Devotional By Pastor E. A. Adeboye – 'Impossible' Prayers 2
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TOPIC: 'Impossible' Prayers 2
MEMORISE: But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible. Matthew 19:26
READ: Joel 2:25-26 (KJV)
25 And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten, the cankerworm, and the caterpiller, and the palmerworm, my great army which I sent among you.
26 And ye shall eat in plenty, and be satisfied, and praise the name of the Lord your God, that hath dealt wondrously with you: and my people shall never be ashamed.
Open Heaven For Today 2023 MESSAGE
Today, I will conclude my teaching on ‘impossible’ prayers. There is a popular saying that an opportunity, once lost, can never be regained. The fellow who said that did not put God in the equation. With God, nothing is impossible. He can restore the un-restorable.
You might have lost an opportunity in the past and now you think that it is impossible to regain that opportunity. However, there is nothing impossible with God.
In Ezekiel 37:1-11, God restored life to dry bones. God can restore that opportunity that you think is long gone to you if you have faith.
He specializes in doing the impossible.
When I was studying at the University of Lagos, I applied to the Federal Ministry of Education for a scholarship to pursue a Master’s degree.
Time passed, and I never got a response from the ministry. Somehow, I raised the money for my tuition, and life went on. When I was close to obtaining the Master’s degree, I met someone l used to know back when I was a games master in a secondary school. He was a games master at another school, and we had met when both of our schools were involved in a competition.
As we talked, I found out that he now worked at the Federal Ministry of Education. I told him, “You people are very tough at the ministry. I applied for a scholarship, and I wasn’t even called for an interview.” He told me that he would look into it. I thought I would get a letter asking me to come for an interview, but to my surprise, the letter I got was to tell me that I had been awarded the scholarship. Since I had already paid my tuition, I bought a land and built my first house with the money I was awarded.
God used a casual meeting to restore an opportunity that I thought was long gone, and it led to me building my first house.
What you may have lost could be more serious.
If you have lost your first love for Christ, and the passion and love that you had for Him at the beginning seems to have died, God will restore your love for Him today, in Jesus’ name. You can love Him far more than you ever did. All you have to do is cooperate with Him as He guides you on what to do for that love to be restored
Key Point
God can reverse the irreversible.
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.
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