OPEN HEAVENS FOR 7TH JUNE 2026
TOPIC: PRAY ALWAYS
RCCG[/caption]MEMORISE:
Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer. — Romans 12:12
READ: Luke 18:1-8 (KJV)
And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint;
Saying, There was in a city a judge, which feared not God, neither regarded man:
And there was a widow in that city; and she came unto him, saying, Avenge me of mine adversary.
And he would not for a while: but afterward he said within himself, Though I fear not God, nor regard man;
Yet because this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me.
And the Lord said, Hear what the unjust judge saith.
And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them?
I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?
MESSAGE:
In Matthew 21:13, Jesus stated that His house is to be called a house of prayer, not a den of thieves. Although He was talking about the physical temple at Jerusalem in that passage, you should note that it also applies to you because you are God's temple (1 Corinthians 6:19). This means that God expects you to pray always. Christians who do not pray or who only pray occasionally create avenues for the enemy to attack and defile them.
As a Christian, God wants you to be a house of prayer; He wants you to pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17). James 5:17-18 tells us that Elijah prayed fervently for rain not to fall in Israel, and God answered his prayer. After 42 months of drought, he prayed fervently again that the rain should fall, and there was a heavy downpour (1 Kings 18:42-45). During the drought, Elijah prayed for a widow's dead son to be restored to life, and God heard him (1 Kings 17:22). He was a man of consistent prayer, and he always received answers to his prayers. Those who prioritise prayer enjoy consistent answers to their prayers.
In today's Bible reading, Jesus told the parable of a widow who persistently disturbed an unrighteous judge until he responded to her. The reason Jesus told this parable was so that men would pray always and not faint (Luke 18:1). This tells us that when a fellow is not praying, he or she is already fainting. The widow's persistence eventually paid off, as the judge responded to her and avenged her of her adversary. When you are consistent in praying, you are assured of answers to your prayers.
When a fellow prays consistently, he or she will not only receive answers to his or her prayers, but the person will be granted greater access to the secrets of God. Psalm 25:14 says, "The secret of the LORD is with them that fear him; and he will shew them his covenant." Nobody shows a random visitor who visits his or her home the key to a hidden vault, but such a secret is typically revealed to intimate friends.
Every Christian must recognise that intimacy is cultivated in the place of prayer, and they must strive to become intimate with their heavenly Father. This is because the more you pray, the greater access you will have to God's heart and secrets. Beloved, are you an intimate friend of God?
KEY POINT:
You are God's temple, and you ought to pray without ceasing.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
Psalms 9-17
HYMN 8: I NEED THEE EVERY HOUR
I need Thee every hour,
Most gracious Lord;
No tender voice like Thine
Can peace afford.
Chorus:
I need Thee, O I need Thee,
Every hour I need Thee;
O bless me now, my Saviour,
I come to Thee.
I need Thee every hour,
Stay Thou nearby;
Temptations lose their power
When Thou art nigh.I need Thee every hour,
In joy or pain;
Come quickly and abide,
Or life is vain.I need Thee every hour,
Teach me Thy will;
And Thy rich promises
In me fulfill.
About RCCG and Open Heavens
The Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) is a global Pentecostal denomination founded in 1952 by Reverend Josiah Akindayomi and now led by Pastor E. A. Adeboye as General Overseer. Headquartered in Lagos, Nigeria, RCCG has spread to over 200 countries with millions of worshippers worldwide.
Open Heavens is the daily devotional of RCCG, written by Pastor E. A. Adeboye. First published in 2003, it has become one of the most widely read daily devotionals in the world. Each edition includes a memory verse, Bible reading, message, prayer point, and hymn. The devotional is known for its practical, Bible-based teachings that address everyday Christian living, spiritual warfare, and faith.
The devotional for 7th June 2026 emphasises the necessity of persistent prayer, using the Parable of the Persistent Widow and the example of Elijah to call believers to pray without ceasing.
BRIEF COMMENTARY
Based on Open Heavens 7th June 2026 – "Pray Always"
The House of Prayer: Your Identity as a Believer
In today's devotional, Pastor Adeboye draws a critical connection between Matthew 21:13 and the believer's identity. Jesus stated that His house is to be called a house of prayer, not a den of thieves. Although He was speaking of the physical temple, this applies to you because you are God's temple (1 Corinthians 6:19). God expects you to pray always.
When Jesus cleansed the temple in Jerusalem, He was angry because the place designated for prayer had been turned into a marketplace. The same tragedy can happen in your life. Christians who do not pray or who only pray occasionally create avenues for the enemy to attack and defile them. A temple that is not filled with prayer is an empty temple, vulnerable to occupation by thieves.
The memory verse from Romans 12:12 is a threefold cord of Christian endurance: rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, and continuing instant in prayer. The word "instant" means constant, persistent, unwavering. A Christian who is "instant in prayer" is perpetually in the attitude of prayer—watchful, expectant, and connected to heaven at all times.
Pray Without Ceasing
Pastor Adeboye emphasizes that occasional prayer is not enough. God wants you to pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17). This does not mean abandoning your job or family to kneel 24 hours a day. It means maintaining a spirit of prayer throughout daily activities, turning brief moments into prayer, living in constant awareness of God's presence, and praying immediately when a need arises.
A Christian who does not pray is like a fish that does not swim or a bird that does not fly. Prayer is not an activity on your to-do list; it is the atmosphere in which you live.
Elijah: The Man of Consistent Prayer
Pastor Adeboye uses Elijah as the supreme biblical example of a man who prioritised prayer and received consistent answers. James 5:17-18 tells us that Elijah prayed fervently for rain not to fall, and God answered. After 42 months of drought, he prayed fervently again for rain, and there was a heavy downpour (1 Kings 18:42-45). During the drought, he prayed for a widow's dead son to be restored to life, and God heard him (1 Kings 17:22).
Notice the pattern: Elijah prayed before the drought began. He prayed during the drought when death struck. He prayed at the end of the drought when it was time for rain. He was not a crisis-only pray-er. He was a man of consistent, persistent, all-season prayer. Those who prioritise prayer enjoy consistent answers to their prayers.
Elijah's posture in prayer is worth imitating. After he prayed for rain, he sent his servant to look toward the sea six times, and each time the servant reported, "There is nothing." A lesser man would have given up. But Elijah persisted, and on the seventh look, a cloud the size of a man's hand appeared. Elijah did not faint at the sixth "nothing." He kept praying, kept expecting, kept sending the servant.
The Parable of the Persistent Widow
Jesus told the parable of the persistent widow so that men would pray always and not faint (Luke 18:1). The parable contrasts an unjust judge (who feared neither God nor man) with a persistent widow who had no power, no influence, and no advocate. Her only weapon was her relentless pleading. Eventually, the judge granted her request—not out of compassion, but out of sheer exhaustion.
Jesus' argument is from the lesser to the greater: if an unjust judge will answer persistent pleas, how much more will your loving Heavenly Father answer His own children who cry to Him day and night?
The devotional states plainly: "This tells us that when a fellow is not praying, he or she is already fainting." Fainting is not merely falling asleep. Fainting is losing consciousness, losing strength, losing hope. When you stop praying, you are in the process of collapsing spiritually. You may still be walking, talking, and working, but internally you are losing your grip on God.
Prayer as the Gateway to Intimacy
Pastor Adeboye elevates the purpose of prayer beyond mere request-answering. When a fellow prays consistently, he or she will not only receive answers, but will be granted greater access to the secrets of God. Psalm 25:14 says, "The secret of the LORD is with them that fear him; and he will shew them his covenant."
The word "secret" (Hebrew sod) means an intimate council, a private conversation, a confidential disclosure. This is what God offers to those who pray consistently: not just blessings, but Himself. Not just answers, but access.
The devotional gives a powerful analogy. Nobody shows a random visitor the key to a hidden vault, but such a secret is typically revealed to intimate friends. Many Christians treat God like a random visitor: they pray on Sundays, in emergencies, or when the devotional reminds them. They see the "living room" of God's blessings but never the "vault" of His secrets. The more you pray, the greater access you will have to God's heart and secrets.
Intimacy is cultivated in the place of prayer. Are you an intimate friend of God?
Warning: Do Not Be a Den of Thieves
When prayer is absent, several things happen. Spiritual vulnerability increases, as Jesus warned: "Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation" (Matthew 26:41). Anxiety and fear grow, when prayer should replace worry (Philippians 4:6). Defilement by the enemy becomes possible, as the devil seeks whom he may devour (1 Peter 5:8). Divine direction is lost, when we should trust in the Lord and not lean on our own understanding (Proverbs 3:5-6).
A prayerless Christian is not a strong Christian struggling in secret. A prayerless Christian is a defeated Christian who has already begun to faint. The enemy does not need to launch a major attack; he simply needs to keep you from your knees.
How to Become a House of Prayer
Set fixed prayer times. Daniel prayed three times daily (Daniel 6:10). Establish non-negotiable prayer appointments with God.
Pray before crisis. Elijah prayed before the drought and before the widow's son died. Build the habit of prayer in peaceful times so that when storms come, your reflex is already prayer.
Practice persistence. The widow kept coming. Elijah sent his servant seven times. When you pray and do not see an immediate answer, do not faint. Keep asking, seeking, and knocking (Matthew 7:7-8).
Pray the Word. Use Scripture as your prayer guide. The Psalms, Paul's prayers, and the Lord's Prayer are templates for powerful, God-centred prayer.
Cultivate intimacy, not just requests. Spend time in prayer just being with God—worshipping, thanking, sitting silently in His presence. The goal is not just to get things from God but to know God.
Conclusion
The devotional ends with a searching question: "Beloved, are you an intimate friend of God?" If not, the answer is not more Bible study alone or more church attendance alone—it is more prayer. Begin today.
Key Point from the Devotional:
You are God's temple, and you ought to pray without ceasing.
Prayer Point (implied from the message):
Father, make my life a house of prayer and draw me into intimate friendship with You.
Action Steps:
The persistence challenge – choose one specific prayer request that has not yet been answered. Pray about it every single day for the next 30 days. Do not stop. Each day, thank God in advance for the answer.
Prayer time audit – track your prayer time for one week. How many minutes do you actually pray (not just read devotionals or listen to music)? Identify the gap between your desired prayer life and your actual one. Close the gap by 5 minutes this week.
The Elijah posture – when you pray for something, do not just pray once and forget. Send your "servant" (your faith) repeatedly to look for the answer cloud. Even when six times you see nothing, go again. The seventh time may bring the rain.
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