Open Heaven For Today 2025 Tuesday Daily Devotional By Pastor E. A. Adeboye – Words Are Powerful 2
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TOPIC: Words Are Powerful 2
MEMORISE: A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger. Proverbs 15:1
READ: Genesis 3:1-13 (KJV)
1 Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?
2 And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden:
3 But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.
4 And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die:
5 For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.
6 And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.
7 And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons.
8 And they heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God amongst the trees of the garden.
9 And the Lord God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou?
10 And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself.
11 And he said, Who told thee that thou wast naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat?
12 And the man said, The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat.
13 And the Lord God said unto the woman, What is this that thou hast done? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Psalms 69-72
Open Heaven For Today 2025 MESSAGE
Indeed, words are very powerful. For example, if you are married, there are certain statements you must never make to your spouse because even after forgiving you, it will take the grace of God for him or her to forget them, and this might affect the marriage for a long time.
For instance, you should never tell your spouse that you regret marrying him or her. You should also never compare your spouse with other people or tag them as enemies of progress. The damage from such statements may be irreparable because the self-esteem of your spouse might have been destroyed. Whenever you are angry, it is better to keep quiet than to say things you will later regret. If you must speak, always ensure that you address the issue at hand and not the person.
The devil always likes to fuel quarrels to make people say things that will negatively affect one or more of the parties involved. Playing the blame game and attacking people verbally only worsens problems.
But if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another. Galatians 5:15
When people bite and devour each other with wrong and negative words, they usually end up destroying their relationships. Christians must not be ignorant of the devices of the devil so that he doesn’t take advantage of them (2 Corinthians 2:11).
Often, the devil wants relationships to be full of strife so that he can be free to do whatever he wants, and when people say hurtful words to one another, they stir up strife. If you do not want the devil’s involvement in your relationships, you should take out the wood of wrong and negative words whenever there are disagreements because if there is no wood, the fire will go out.
Instead of using harsh words when you have a disagreement with someone, your responses should be soft because a soft answer will always turn away wrath (Proverbs 15:1).
Beloved, if someone close to you has said hurtful words to you in the past, I plead on the person’s behalf that you should forgive him or her. Please don’t let the words bring permanent damage to yourself or your relationship with that fellow. If you are in this situation, I declare your healing today, and if you have lost any God-given relationships, may the Almighty God restore them in the name of Jesus.
Key Point
Never speak harsh and negative words, no matter the provocation.
HYMN 24: I Want To Be Like Jesus
1 Earthly pleasures vainly call me;
I would be like Jesus;
Nothing worldly shall enthrall me,
I would be like Jesus.
Refrain:
Be like Jesus - this my song,
In the home and in the throng;
Be like Jesus, all day long,
I would be like Jesus.
2 He has broken every fetter,
I would be like Jesus;
That my soul may serve Him better,
I would be like Jesus. [Refrain]
3 All the way from earth to glory,
I would be like Jesus;
Telling o’er and o’er the story,
I would be like Jesus. [Refrain]
4 That in heaven He may meet me,
I would be like Jesus;
That His words “Well done” may greet me,
I would be like Jesus. [Refrain]
Open Heaven For Today 2025 Friday Daily Devotional By Pastor E. A. Adeboye – Peace In A Storm
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TOPIC: Peace In A Storm
MEMORISE: Behold, the LORD’S hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear: But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear. Isaiah 59:1-2
READ: Mark 4:35-41(KJV)
35 And the same day, when the even was come, he saith unto them, Let us pass over unto the other side.
36 And when they had sent away the multitude, they took him even as he was in the ship. And there were also with him other little ships.
37 And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now full.
38 And he was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow: and they awake him, and say unto him, Master, carest thou not that we perish?
39 And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.
40 And he said unto them, Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith?
41 And they feared exceedingly, and said one to another, What manner of man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?
Open Heaven For Today 2025 MESSAGE
In a storm, there is always so much turmoil, but right in the middle of it is the part called ‘the eye of the storm’, which is usually peaceful and calm. When you are connected to the Almighty God, no matter how much trouble surrounds you, you will always experience peace and calm.
In 1 Kings 17:1, rivers dried up, and people suffered. There was so much hunger in the land, yet God provided for Elijah at all times. At one point, God sent ravens to bring him bread and meat every morning and evening. When the brook dried up, God sent him to a widow to sustain him (1 Kings 17:9).
When you are connected to the King of kings, your experience will always be different from that of others around you. For example, during an economic downturn, when people are anxious about their finances, a child of God will be calm, knowing that his or her economy is in Zion, where the streets are made of gold.
In today’s Bible reading, when Jesus and His disciples were travelling on the sea, a storm arose, but Jesus slept peacefully through it because He is connected to the Father. While the disciples were scared of perishing, He slept like a baby with a pillow (Mark 4:38). Paul also faced a huge storm, and in the midst of it, while the other people on the ship spoke of dying, he spoke of life and deliverance because God sent His angel to assure him of safety (Acts 27:20-25). His connection with God gave him the assurance that nothing evil would befall him.
Beloved, if you are in a storm and you don’t want to be swept away, you must remain connected to God. What can destroy this connection is sin. Isaiah 59:1-2 says that there is always a gap between sinners and God, and even though His arms are everlasting (Deuteronomy 33:27), they cannot reach the sinners.
When people allow sin into their lives, they leave the centre of God’s will where peace and joy reign. When Jonah chose to go to Tarshish in disobedience to God, a storm arose, and he found himself in the belly of a big fish (Jonah 1:1-17).
Sin will always bring a fellow into negative situations, and that is why you must not toy with it at all. Economies and nations will fail, but if you want to keep blossoming and flourishing amidst negative reports, you must shun sin and remain connected to God.
Key Point
Believers who remain connected to God will thrive amidst storms.
HYMN 19: Rock Of Ages, Cleft For Me
1 Rock of Ages, cleft for me,
let me hide myself in thee;
let the water and the blood,
from thy wounded side which flowed,
be of sin the double cure;
save from wrath and make me pure.
2 Not the labors of my hands
can fulfill thy law’s demands;
could my zeal no respite know,
could my tears forever flow,
all for sin could not atone;
thou must save, and thou alone.
3 Nothing in my hand I bring,
simply to the cross I cling;
naked, come to thee for dress;
helpless, look to thee for grace;
foul, I to the fountain fly;
wash me, Savior, or I die.
4 While I draw this fleeting breath,
when mine eyes shall close in death,
when I soar to worlds unknown,
see thee on thy judgment throne,
Rock of Ages, cleft for me,
let me hide myself in thee.
Open Heaven For Today 2025 Thursday Daily Devotional By Pastor E. A. Adeboye – God Hates Divorce
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TOPIC: God Hates Divorce
MEMORISE: For the LORD, the God of Israel, saith that he hateth putting away: for one covereth violence with his garment, saith the LORD of hosts: therefore take heed to your spirit, that ye deal not treacherously. Malachi 2:16
READ: Mark 10:2-9 (KJV)
2 And the Pharisees came to him, and asked him, Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife? tempting him.
3 And he answered and said unto them, What did Moses command you?
4 And they said, Moses suffered to write a bill of divorcement, and to put her away.
5 And Jesus answered and said unto them, For the hardness of your heart he wrote you this precept.
6 But from the beginning of the creation God made them male and female.
7 For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and cleave to his wife;
8 And they twain shall be one flesh: so then they are no more twain, but one flesh.
9 What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Psalms 38-42
Open Heaven For Today 2025 MESSAGE
God designed the marriage institution to be sacred (Genesis 2:24), but unfortunately, many people in the world today do not see it that way. Many married couples treat their businesses and careers better than their marriages, and expectedly, the divorce rate has become alarming across the world. God hates divorce (Malachi 2:16); hence, His children should never toy with it. When a couple gets divorced, they go against God’s commandment not to separate what He has joined together.
I know some people seek divorce because they consider their marriages ‘hell on earth’. While I sympathize with them, the truth is that no amount of pain on earth can be compared to an eternity in hell. Divorce is not God’s will; it is the hardness of man’s heart that made Moses permit it among the Israelites (Matthew 19:3-9).
The pain of divorce is also often very deep. It negatively affects families and can be felt for several generations. It opens doors to many vices and a lot of the decadence we see in the world today.
Yes, spouses should separate when lives are threatened and then trust God for a full restoration of the family.
Married couples must stay rooted in the basics of marriage (Ephesians 5:22-33) just as successful athletes who want to remain relevant must stick to the basics of their sports.
Unconditional love and submission, sacrifice, reverence, and God’s word are the basics of marriage; if couples stick to them, they will experience bliss and peace in their marriages.
Married couples must pray together regularly. They must remain vigilant and never be ignorant of the devil’s devices (2 Corinthians 2:11).
Sometimes, when the devil is after a married couple with children, his main target is not the couple themselves but their children since he knows that broken homes often, if not always, negatively affect children. Married couples should defend their homes and protect their children with the help of the Holy Spirit.
Beloved, if you are married, consistently stand in the gap for your marriage with prayers. God has restored many ‘dead’ marriages because one or both parties prayed and acted according to His word concerning their marriage.
If you are planning to get married, you must prayerfully seek God’s counsel before doing so. For Christian marriages to be successful, couples must ensure that their marriage is rooted in God’s word and also ensure that they work together to nurture it with the help of the Holy Spirit.
Prayer Point
Lord, please heal every home that is on the brink of divorce, in Jesus’ name.
HYMN 29: When Peace Like A River Attendeth My Way
1 When peace like a river attendeth my way,
when sorrows like sea billows roll;
whatever my lot, thou hast taught me to say,
“It is well, it is well with my soul.”
Refrain (may be sung after final stanza only):
It is well with my soul;
it is well, it is well with my soul.
2 Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,
let this blest assurance control:
that Christ has regarded my helpless estate,
and has shed his own blood for my soul. Refrain
3 My sin oh, the bliss of this glorious thought!
my sin, not in part, but the whole,
is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more;
praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul! Refrain
4 O Lord, haste the day when my faith shall be sight,
the clouds be rolled back as a scroll;
the trump shall resound and the Lord shall descend;
even so, it is well with my soul. Refrain
Open Heaven For Today 2025 Tuesday Daily Devotional By Pastor E. A. Adeboye – Cleave As One 2
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TOPIC: Cleave As One 2
MEMORISE: Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder. Matthew 19:6
READ: Psalms 133:1-3 (KJV)
1 Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!
2 It is like the precious ointment upon the head, that ran down upon the beard, even Aaron’s beard: that went down to the skirts of his garments;
3 As the dew of Hermon, and as the dew that descended upon the mountains of Zion: for there the Lord commanded the blessing, even life for evermore.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Psalms 28-33
Open Heaven For Today 2025 MESSAGE
Today, I will continue my discussion on why spouses should cleave together. When a married couple live far apart from each other for a long period of time, they will both begin to change according to their different environments without realizing it. As people grow older and have new experiences, they change, and if a married couple are not going through these experiences together, they may become strangers to each other after a while. By the time such couples finally come together, they will likely be shocked by their differences.
It is difficult to cleave as one with someone you are not living with. What creates strong bonds between some siblings is not just the fact that they were born by the same parents but that they grew up together and went through certain experiences together. This is also why childhood friends have a strong bond. If you really want to cleave as one with your spouse, you need to live through experiences together.
You may say, “We talk about our day on the phone every evening,” but that is not the same as physical interaction. When you study the Bible, you will see that couples who relocated did so together. When Abraham relocated to Egypt, he went with Sarah (Genesis 13:1). When Elimelech went to Moab in search of greener pastures, he went with his wife, Naomi (Ruth 1:1). Although their story was tragic, the lesson is that relocation should be a joint venture. When the angel appeared to Joseph to take Jesus to Egypt because of Herod’s murderous intention, the family went together (Matthew 2:13-14).
There may be some unavoidable situations that may require one partner to travel to another location first. However, in such situations, the family should not stay apart for more than six months before they come back together again.
It is not healthy for couples to cause a separation in their marriage just because they want to relocate to another location they consider to be ‘greener pastures’. Anything that will affect the unity of a marriage shouldn’t be considered or permitted. Couples should do everything possible to stay together because God commands it (Mark 10:9). When they are together, it is easier to pray and agree on certain matters. However, when they are in different countries with different time zones, it is more difficult. Cleaving to one’s spouse requires being intentional about bonding, being united, and living through experiences together.
Key Point
It is important for married couples to be intentional about living through life’s experiences together.
HYMN 28: Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehovah
1 Guide me, O my great Redeemer,
pilgrim through this barren land;
I am weak, but you are mighty;
hold me with your powerful hand.
Bread of heaven, bread of heaven,
feed me now and evermore,
feed me now and evermore.
2 Open now the crystal fountain,
where the healing waters flow.
Let the fire and cloudy pillar
lead me all my journey through.
Strong Deliverer, strong Deliverer,
ever be my strength and shield,
ever be my strength and shield.
3 When I tread the verge of Jordan,
bid my anxious fears subside.
Death of death, and hell’s Destruction,
land me safe on Canaan’s side.
Songs of praises, songs of praises
I will ever sing to you,
I will ever sing to you.
Open Heaven For Today 2025 Sunday Daily Devotional By Pastor E. A. Adeboye – Deflecting Offences In Marriage
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TOPIC: Deflecting Offences In Marriage
MEMORISE: Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath: James 1:19
READ: Colossians 3:12-15 (KJV)
12 Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering;
13 Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.
14 And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness.
15 And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Psalms 18-21
Open Heaven For Today 2025 MESSAGE
The first equation in what I call the ‘mathematics of marriage’ states that ‘Love is blind! Proverbs 10:12 says that love covers a multitude of sins; therefore, married people should not complain about all of their spouse’s faults. To deflect offences, they must learn to accommodate their shortcomings.
Some people are known to call their spouses ‘angels’ affectionately. Though I am not against this, another equation states that ‘Angels don’t eat jollof rice. This is a humorous way of stating that human beings are not angels and, hence, are prone to human mistakes. It is important that married people do not have unreasonable expectations of their spouses that will keep them in a state of being constantly offended. If you’re married or about to get married, you must understand that you and your spouse will offend each other many times in your marriage. However, knowing how to deflect those offences and turn them around will help you a lot.
Years ago, I was preparing for a trip, and my wife wanted to accompany me to the airport. I knew she was likely going to delay me, so l said,
“A car will move faster if it is not pulling a trailer behind it.”
She responded, “Who’s the trailer?” I could sense that she was offended by what I said, so I quickly said, “I’m the trailer; you’re the car. I don’t want to slow you down.” She laughed and said, “You’re not serious.” If I didn’t know how to turn the situation around, a fight could have started from there. It is important for married people to know when to stop talking or say things that will diffuse the tension when their partners are about to get offended.
James 1:19 is a perfect template for deflecting offences in marriage. When you are swift to hear, you will know how to patiently listen to your spouse without looking for ways to attack him or her or defend yourself unnecessarily. Being slow to speak is knowing that sometimes, it is unwise to say everything on your mind. Lastly, any fellow who is slow to anger will not easily get offended.
Beloved, if you want to have a marriage with fewer fights and offences, you must learn not to have unreasonable expectations of your spouse. You must also learn to accommodate your spouse’s weaknesses while you work patiently with him or her to get better through the help of the Holy Spirit.
Key Point
To deflect offences, married people must learn to accommodate the weaknesses of their spouses.
HYMN 24: I Want To Be Like Jesus
1 Earthly pleasures vainly call me;
I would be like Jesus;
Nothing worldly shall enthrall me,
I would be like Jesus.
Refrain:
Be like Jesus - this my song,
In the home and in the throng;
Be like Jesus, all day long,
I would be like Jesus.
2 He has broken every fetter,
I would be like Jesus;
That my soul may serve Him better,
I would be like Jesus. [Refrain]
3 All the way from earth to glory,
I would be like Jesus;
Telling o’er and o’er the story,
I would be like Jesus. [Refrain]
4 That in heaven He may meet me,
I would be like Jesus;
That His words “Well done” may greet me,
I would be like Jesus. [Refrain]
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