Open Heaven For Today 2024 Wednesday Daily Devotional By Pastor E. A. Adeboye – Focus
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TOPIC: Focus
MEMORISE: Let thine eyes look right on, and let thine eyelids look straight before thee. Proverbs 4:25
READ: Colossians 3:1-3 (KJV)
3 If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.
2 Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.
3 For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.
READ: Hebrews 12:1-2 (KJV)
12 Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,
2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Luke 7-8
Open Heaven For Today 2023 MESSAGE
In 2 Kings 2:10, Elijah was basically telling Elisha,
“Son, you have asked a hard thing that I can’t give you, but God can give you. Just don’t be distracted, stay focused.”
Hebrews 12:1-2 says that you should lay aside every weight and look unto Jesus. Be focused.
The devil will try to put many weights on you to distract you, but you must stay focused. People may criticise you, lie against you, and say negative things about you, but you must remain focused.
Some years ago, people were criticising me almost everywhere. l ignored all of them and remained focused on what God called me to do.
By God’s grace, I am still marching on, but no one knows where some of the people that were criticising me are now.
The weights that the devil will try to use to sway your focus will not only be from people that dislike you; some of them will be from people that love you.
Their praises, for example, can be a weight that you must set aside so that you do not lose focus.
A man once offended a great king and should have been beheaded. However, the king decided to give him a test. The king told him to carry water in a spoon and walk for some metres.
If he spilt a single drop of water, he was to be beheaded. The king asked some people to stand on his left-hand side and criticise him; they were to rain abuses on him and keep booing him.
On his right-hand side, the king asked some other people to stand and keep praising and hailing the man until he got to the finish line. The man started walking, and the people on both sides did what they were told to do with all their strength.
At last, the man got to the finish line without spilling any water. The king asked him,
“Which of these people helped you succeed?” He responded, “None of them. I was carrying my life in my hands, and so I did not listen to either of them.”
Beloved, you are carrying your life in your hands; don’t let anyone make you lose your focus.
Action Point
Set aside every weight that the devil is using to distract you and focus on achieving God’s purpose for your life.
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 – You Have To Wrestle
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TOPIC: You Have To Wrestle
MEMORISE: And he said, Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel: for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed. Genesis 32:28
READ: Genesis 32:24-29 (KJV)
24 And Jacob was left alone; and there wrestled a man with him until the breaking of the day.
25 And when he saw that he prevailed not against him, he touched the hollow of his thigh; and the hollow of Jacob's thigh was out of joint, as he wrestled with him.
26 And he said, Let me go, for the day breaketh. And he said, I will not let thee go, except thou bless me.
27 And he said unto him, What is thy name? And he said, Jacob.
28 And he said, Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel: for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed.
29 And Jacob asked him, and said, Tell me, I pray thee, thy name. And he said, Wherefore is it that thou dost ask after my name? And he blessed him there.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Luke 5-6
Open Heaven For Today 2023 MESSAGE
There is a powerful lesson in 2 Kings 2:1-15 that I will like you to pay attention to. Elijah gave Elisha a condition to meet in order to get the double portion in spite of the fact that he had been serving Elijah for so long.
If Elisha had not met that single condition, he would have gotten nothing from his father at his departure.
Many people think that getting blessed by a powerful man of God is enough to make them great. Yes, the blessing is powerful, but if a person does not wrestle out his or her greatness, such a fellow will remain on the same level.
Your father may have settled some things on your behalf, but you still have your own individual wrestling to de if you want to access those things.
In Genesis 27:26-30, Isaac blessed Jacob with an irreversible blessing. For sure, Jacob was going to be great, however, he had to wrestle to get the change of name that set him up for the benefits of the blessings he had received (Genesis 32:1-30).
Many rich people’s children think that because their parents are rich, they can never be poor. History is full of examples of people whose parents were very rich but who ended up poor.
If you don’t wrestle out your own greatness, you will eventually lose whatever inheritance is laid down for you.
Some pastors’ children think that their parents’ anointing makes them immune to the devil and assures them of making heaven.
However, Ezekiel 18:20 says that the soul that sinneth shall die. If you are a sinner, your father’s righteousness or anointing cannot cover you.
You must meet God for yourself and build a relationship with Him if you want to enjoy the benefits of what your father carries.
Without Pa Josiah Akindayomi, you might not know Adeboye today. I have always thanked God that when I got born again, it was in RCCG.
God brought me to a covenant church, and I rode on that covenant to become who l am today. However, even though the covenant is there, if I did not wrestle it out, I would never have succeeded.
I had to fast, pray, keep vigils, and work very hard. I made sacrifices, and I am still doing so today because I know that the covenant will go to waste if I don’t wrestle things out by myself.
Beloved, if you want to experience the blessings that God has arranged to help you succeed, get ready to wrestle them out yourself.
Key Point
Don’t relax because you have a unique advantage; wrestle to make use of that advantage.
HYMN 15: Pass Me Not O Gentle Saviour
1 Pass me not, O gentle Savior,
Hear my humble cry,
While on others Thou art calling,
Do not pass me by.
Refrain:
Savior, Savior,
Hear my humble cry;
While on others Thou art calling,
Do not pass me by.
2 Let me at a throne of mercy
Find a sweet relief;
Kneeling there in deep contrition,
Help my unbelief. [Refrain]
3 Trusting only in Thy merit,
Would I seek Thy face;
Heal my wounded, broken spirit,
Save me by Thy grace. [Refrain]
4 Thou the Spring of all my comfort,
More than life to me,
Whom have I on earth beside Thee?
Whom in heav’n but Thee? [Refrain]
Open Heaven For Today 2024 Sunday Daily Devotional By Pastor E. A. Adeboye – The Challenges Of Success II
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TOPIC: The Challenges Of Success II
MEMORISE: The poor is hated even of his own neighbour: but the rich hath many friends. Proverbs 14:20
READ: Proverbs 19:4-7 (KJV)
4 Wealth maketh many friends; but the poor is separated from his neighbour.
5 A false witness shall not be unpunished, and he that speaketh lies shall not escape.
6 Many will intreat the favour of the prince: and every man is a friend to him that giveth gifts.
7 All the brethren of the poor do hate him: how much more do his friends go far from him? he pursueth them with words, yet they are wanting to him.
Open Heaven For Today 20 October 2024 MESSAGE:
Yesterday, I started sharing about the challenges of success, and I focused on pride.
Today, I will look at another major challenge of success, which is the fact that everybody wants to be friends with the successful.
When you are successful, you will have many people around you, and it will be difficult to tell those that have good intentions apart from those that do not.
The mere fact that you are at the top will attract many ‘friends’ to you. This is why you must be careful to put your trust in God and not man.
Some people will do everything to work their way into your heart just because of what they want to get from you.
You will need the gift of discernment of spirits to know those that are genuine and those that are not.
In 2 Samuel 13:4-5, Jonadab advised Prince Amnon like he really cared about him. Amnon went ahead and did as he advised.
When the repercussion of that evil counsel came, Jonadab did not rise up to defend his friend; he was the one who went to announce Amnon’s death to David (2 Samuel 13:32-33).
He told the king,
“Let the king cheer up, for Amnon only is dead.”
If Amnon had been wise, he would have seen earlier that Jonadab was not a real friend.
Real friends will not always say ‘yes’ to your desires. Sometimes, they will say ‘no’ because they care about you.
When you have people who never tell you the hard truth and who will keep supporting you, even when you are clearly going the wrong way, run from such people.
The higher you go, the more careful you have to become in choosing the kind of people you allow into your life.
If you are trying not to be lonely as you go higher, and you keep many friends, you will end up having many with negative intentions around you.
You should have fewer friends as you go higher, not because you don’t like being friendly, but because you will discover that most people care more about what you can give them than who you are to them.
As a result, your circle of friends should become really small as you advance in life.
For example, I had more friends when I was not yet General Overseer than I have now.
Beloved, I pray that God will give you the grace to discern between those that are really your friends and those that are wolves in sheep’s clothing.
Key Point
Father, please give me the gift of discernment of spirits so that I can know who my real friends are and those that are not.
HYMN 27: What A Friend We Have In Jesus
1 What a friend we have in Jesus,
all our sins and griefs to bear!
What a privilege to carry
everything to God in prayer!
O what peace we often forfeit,
O what needless pain we bear,
all because we do not carry
everything to God in prayer!
2 Have we trials and temptations?
Is there trouble anywhere?
We should never be discouraged;
take it to the Lord in prayer!
Can we find a friend so faithful
who will all our sorrows share?
Jesus knows our every weakness;
take it to the Lord in prayer!
3 Are we weak and heavy laden,
cumbered with a load of care?
Precious Savior, still our refuge–
take it to the Lord in prayer!
Do your friends despise, forsake you?
Take it to the Lord in prayer!
In his arms he’ll take and shield you;
you will find a solace there.
Open Heaven For Today 2024 Saturday Daily Devotional By Pastor E. A. Adeboye – The Challenges Of Success I
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TOPIC: The Challenges Of Success I
READ: Daniel 4:25-35(KJV)
25 That they shall drive thee from men, and thy dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field, and they shall make thee to eat grass as oxen, and they shall wet thee with the dew of heaven, and seven times shall pass over thee, till thou know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will.
26 And whereas they commanded to leave the stump of the tree roots; thy kingdom shall be sure unto thee, after that thou shalt have known that the heavens do rule.
27 Wherefore, O king, let my counsel be acceptable unto thee, and break off thy sins by righteousness, and thine iniquities by shewing mercy to the poor; if it may be a lengthening of thy tranquillity.
28 All this came upon the king Nebuchadnezzar.
29 At the end of twelve months he walked in the palace of the kingdom of Babylon.
30 The king spake, and said, Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for the house of the kingdom by the might of my power, and for the honour of my majesty?
31 While the word was in the king's mouth, there fell a voice from heaven, saying, O king Nebuchadnezzar, to thee it is spoken; The kingdom is departed from thee.
32 And they shall drive thee from men, and thy dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field: they shall make thee to eat grass as oxen, and seven times shall pass over thee, until thou know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will.
33 The same hour was the thing fulfilled upon Nebuchadnezzar: and he was driven from men, and did eat grass as oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven, till his hairs were grown like eagles' feathers, and his nails like birds' claws.
34 And at the end of the days I Nebuchadnezzar lifted up mine eyes unto heaven, and mine understanding returned unto me, and I blessed the most High, and I praised and honoured him that liveth for ever, whose dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom is from generation to generation:
35 And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing: and he doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, What doest thou?
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Mark 15-16
Open Heaven For Today 2023 MESSAGE
Many people pursue success, and that is good. However, being successful has its own challenges.
Success has destroyed many people in the past because they were not prepared for the challenges that come with it.
Over the next few days, I will be sharing some of the challenges that come with attaining success with you.
I may not be able to share all of them with you in this series, but I hope that what you learn will help you prepare for success because you will be successful unto the end, in Jesus’ name.
The first challenge of success is pride.
In Genesis 48:1-20, the blessing of the firstborn was transferred to Ephraim by his grandfather, and as a result, he became greater than his elder brother, Manasseh.
Pride set in, and God kept pleading with him, but he wasn’t listening.
Then, in Hosea 4:16-19, God said that Ephraim should be left alone. By the time we get to Hosea 5:9, God said,
“Ephraim shall be desolate.”
In Revelation 7:5-8, when the various tribes of Israel were being sealed, Ephraim was no longer there.
The pride that came with Ephraim’s success ended up destroying him. Proverbs 16:18 says:
Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.
Those who are down can fear no fall. The higher you go, the more cautious you should be of falling, and that caution should drive you to be more humble as you rise.
James 4:6 says: But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.
It is only by God’s grace that you are able to attain and sustain success.
If you become proud, God will withdraw His grace, and the result of that will be disgrace.
Don’t let God resist you; don’t allow pride into your heart. Do everything to ensure that you don’t think of yourself as more important than you really are.
Don’t look down on others, and don’t see anything as being too low for you.
Let Matthew 20:26-28 keep ringing in your head, that the one who will be the greatest must be the servant of all.
Jesus Christ showed us an example of service and humility in John 13:1-17.
He also told us clearly that this is the way to greatness in God’s kingdom (Luke 22:24-27).
Beloved, seek to serve more than to be served so that God will continue to lift you up.
Key Point
No matter how high God lifts you, don’t allow pride into your heart.
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.
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