Open Heaven For Today 2024 Monday Daily Devotional By Pastor E. A. Adeboye – Cover Not Your Sins
Click HERE for Previous Open Heaven Devotional
TOPIC: Cover Not Your Sins
MEMORISE: He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy. Proverbs 28:13
READ: 1 Samuel 15:22-29 (KJV)
22 And Samuel said, Hath the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.
23 For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the Lord, he hath also rejected thee from being king.
24 And Saul said unto Samuel, I have sinned: for I have transgressed the commandment of the Lord, and thy words: because I feared the people, and obeyed their voice.
25 Now therefore, I pray thee, pardon my sin, and turn again with me, that I may worship the Lord.
26 And Samuel said unto Saul, I will not return with thee: for thou hast rejected the word of the Lord, and the Lord hath rejected thee from being king over Israel.
27 And as Samuel turned about to go away, he laid hold upon the skirt of his mantle, and it rent.
28 And Samuel said unto him, The Lord hath rent the kingdom of Israel from thee this day, and hath given it to a neighbour of thine, that is better than thou.
29 And also the Strength of Israel will not lie nor repent: for he is not a man, that he should repent.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Mark 6-7
Open Heaven For Today 2023 MESSAGE
In my primary school days, our teacher told us the story of a man who offended his king. The king was very angry and called the man concerning the issue. The man immediately got on his knees and pleaded for mercy. He admitted his offence and said that he was very sorry. The king pardoned him because of his repentant heart.
Our teacher told us that if we are wrong and admit it while asking for mercy, we will obtain mercy. However, if we try to cover our wrongs, we will surely get punished. The lesson stuck with me, and so, when l do something wrong, I don’t try to cover it. If I offend God, I turn to Him and say, “Lord, I have offended you, please have mercy on me.”
If you want to obtain mercy from God, you must not cover any sins that you commit. The reason God always had mercy on David is that he never tried to cover his sins; rather, he would confess them to God. In 1 Chronicles 21:1-16, when Gad came to tell David that he had offended God, not only did David accept his wrong, he called the elders to fast and pray with him for forgiveness. Compare that to Saul in 1 Samuel 15:20-21.
After Samuel had come to tell Him that he had not carried out God’s instruction to the letter, he made excuses instead of accepting his wrong. When Samuel refused to worship God with him, he did not plead with him to help appease God, rather, he pulled Samuel’s skirt just because he didn’t want the elders to see Samuel walking away from him. He clearly wasn’t making the sacrifice to ask for mercy, he was doing it to cover his sin and make everything look alright.
1 Samuel 3:19 tells us that God honoured Samuel and never allowed his words to fall to the ground, but in 1 Samuel 16:1, as much as Samuel pleaded for Saul, God said that he should not waste his time because He had rejected Saul.
Beloved, covering your sins will land you in destruction. When you do something wrong, don’t try to keep up appearances. Your Christian life is not about publicity, it is more of your personal relationship with the King of kings. Confess your sins and plead with God for mercy. When you do that, He will have mercy on you, but if you cover your sins, you are risking His total rejection.
Action Point
Don’t cover your sins; confess them and repent genuinely.
HYMN 2: Amazing Grace
1 Amazing grace! how sweet the sound,
That saved a wretch; like me!
I once was lost, but now am found,
Was blind, but now I see.
2 Through many dangers, toils, and snares
I have already come
This grace that brought me safe thus far
And grace will lead me home
3 The Lord hath promised good to me,
His word my hope secures;
He will my shield and portion be
As long as life endures.
4 Yea, when this flesh and heart shall fail,
and mortal life shall cease:
I shall possess, within the veil,
a life of joy and peace.
5 The earth shall soon dissolve like snow,
the sun forbear to shine;
but God, who called me here below,
will be forever mine.
6 When we’ve been there ten thousand years,
Bright shining as the sun,
We’ve no less days to sing God’s praise
Than when we first begun.
Open Heaven For Today 2024 Sunday Daily Devotional By Pastor E. A. Adeboye – Friend Of God?
Click HERE for Previous Open Heaven Devotional
TOPIC: Friend Of God?
MEMORISE: And blessed be the most high God, which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand. And he gave him tithes of all. Genesis 14:20
READ: 2 Corinthians 9:1-7 (KJV)
1 For as touching the ministering to the saints, it is superfluous for me to write to you:
2 For I know the forwardness of your mind, for which I boast of you to them of Macedonia, that Achaia was ready a year ago; and your zeal hath provoked very many.
3 Yet have I sent the brethren, lest our boasting of you should be in vain in this behalf; that, as I said, ye may be ready:
4 Lest haply if they of Macedonia come with me, and find you unprepared, we (that we say not, ye) should be ashamed in this same confident boasting.
5 Therefore I thought it necessary to exhort the brethren, that they would go before unto you, and make up beforehand your bounty, whereof ye had notice before, that the same might be ready, as a matter of bounty, and not as of covetousness.
6 But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully.
7 Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Mark 4-5
Open Heaven For Today 2023 MESSAGE
I have a close friend who was the president of a country.
One day, I said to him,
“You’ve been president for almost seven years, and you’ve never given me anything since.”
He looked at me and said,
“You’ve never asked.”
I replied,
“Friends don’t ask. If we are friends, I don’t need to ask you. A friend gives to his or her friend without him or her asking.”
When lovers are in a courtship and there is no exchange of gifts between them, no matter how small, that love might just be questionable because one of the major ways of demonstrating love is by giving (John 3:16).
Many people claim to be God’s friends, but from their reaction when it comes to giving to God, you will realize that they are not.
Real friends of God will not wait until an announcement is made for offerings to be made to God before giving to Him.
Real friends of God will constantly look for ways to give to Him because of how much they love Him.
I recall a time that I went to minister at a church some years ago, and everyone in the congregation was looking so radiant.
By looking at them, you could tell that God had really blessed them. I was thinking about how blessed they were when the minister on the altar said, “It’s offering time.”
You could see the joy in the auditorium as they all clapped and shouted.
Then, God told me,
“This is why I have blessed them so much; they give to me cheerfully.”
Those who are always happy to give to God, and who don’t need to be cajoled or asked before they do so, always enjoy abundant blessings.
God sees them as His genuine friends, so He also doesn’t wait for them to ask before giving to them.
David was a man who always wanted to give to God. He said in 1 Chronicles 21:24 that he would never give God anything that costs him nothing.
As a result, God said that He had given him everything he ever wanted and that if he wanted more, He would have given him (2 Samuel 12:8).
He never let him lack anything because he was His friend indeed.
God never asked Abraham for a tithe in Genesis 14:20 before Abraham gave it to Him.
Nowadays, even after God has said that we should bring tithes into His house (Malachi 3:10-12), some Christians still argue about whether they should pay tithes or not.
Such Christians are only pretending to be friends of God.
Action Point
Are you really a friend of God?
HYMN 11: I've Found A Friend In Jesus
1 I have found a friend in Jesus, He?s everything to me;
He?s the fairest of ten thousand to my soul!
The Lily of the Valley, in Him alone I see
All I need to cleanse and make me fully whole.
In sorrow He?s my comfort, in trouble He?s my stay;
He tells me every care on Him to roll. (Hallelujah)
Chorus:
He?s the Lily of the Valley,
the Bright and Morning Star;
He?s the fairest of ten thousand to my soul.
2 He all my grief has taken, and all my sorrows borne;
In temptation He?s my strong and mighty tower;
I have all for Him forsaken, and all my idols torn
From my heart, and now He keeps me by His power.
Though all the world forsake me, and Satan tempt me sore,
Through Jesus I shall safely reach the goal: (Hallelujah)
3 He?ll never, never leave me, nor yet forsake me here,
while I live by faith and do His blessed will;
A wall of fire about me, I?ve nothing now to fear;
with His manna He my hungry soul shall fill.
Then sweeping up to glory, I?ll see His blessed face,
where rivers of delight shall ever roll.
Open Heaven For Today 2024 Saturday Daily Devotional By Pastor E. A. Adeboye – Be Merciful
Click HERE for Previous Open Heaven Devotional
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
Click HERE for Previous Open Heaven Devotional
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]
0 Comments
Please drop a comment. God bless you!