RCCG Open Heavens Devotional – 11th June 2026 by Pastor Adeboye

 Open Heavens Devotional – 11th June 2026

Topic: Love Should Not Hinder God’s Will

Pastor Adeboye preaching

MEMORISE: Matthew 16:23

But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men.

READ: 1 Samuel 17:26-31 (KJV) 26 And David spake to the men that stood by him, saying, What shall be done to the man that killeth this Philistine, and taketh away the reproach from Israel? for who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God? 27 And the people answered him after this manner, saying, So shall it be done to the man that killeth him. 28 And Eliab his eldest brother heard when he spake unto the men; and Eliab’s anger was kindled against David, and he said, Why camest thou down hither? and with whom hast thou left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know thy pride, and the naughtiness of thine heart; for thou art come down that thou mightest see the battle. 29 And David said, What have I now done? Is there not a cause? 30 And he turned from him toward another, and spake after the same manner: and the people answered him again after the former manner. 31 And when the words were heard which David spake, they rehearsed them before Saul: and he sent for him.

MESSAGE: In December 2018, I went for the RCCG’s annual Let’s-Go-A-Fishing evangelism programme, as I usually do. The roads were bad, but I didn’t let that bother me because I was already used to travelling on bad roads.

However, the roads were so bad that year that by the third day of the programme, my body broke down completely, and I had to spend Christmas Day in bed. When it was time to return to Redemption City, I was so weak physically that I couldn’t go by road. Therefore, arrangements were made for a helicopter to transport me.

When the helicopter arrived, a crowd of people gathered around it, making it difficult for me to get on board. My protocol team managed to get me on board the helicopter; however, the crowd made it impossible for it to take off. They clung to the helicopter, and the situation became so charged that one of its windows broke. To God’s glory, I survived that encounter and returned home safely.

Sometimes, people who love you may think that they are acting in your best interests; however, their actions might be causing more harm to you than good. The people who gathered around the helicopter, as I narrated above, didn’t do so because they wanted to hurt me. They gathered because they love me, but they didn’t know that their actions might have seriously harmed me.

In today’s Bible reading, Eliab was trying to protect David as every big brother would do. His younger brother had no combat training whatsoever, yet he was determined to challenge a seasoned warrior. If you were in Eliab’s shoes, you would also have done everything possible to prevent David from facing Goliath. However, even though he had good intentions, his actions might have prevented David from fulfilling his destiny.

Beloved, you must be careful to know when your loved ones are acting in a manner that would limit you from fulfilling God’s plan for your life. In Matthew 16:21-23, Peter, who had just declared that Jesus is the Son of God, started to rebuke the Master because He began to talk about His impending death. He obviously loved Jesus, yet he almost became a stumbling block to the Lord fulfilling His earthly assignment. I pray that God will help you discern whenever your loved ones’ actions are hindering His will for your life. May He give you the courage to refuse to allow their words and actions prevent you from doing His will, in Jesus’ name.

PRAYER POINT: Father, please help me to discern when my loved ones are not mindful of Your will.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Psalms 34-37

HYMN 33: GUIDE ME, O THOU GREAT JEHOVAH!

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Commentary for Open Heavens Readers This devotional delivers a powerful and timely warning: even well-meaning love from family and friends can sometimes become a hindrance to God’s will for our lives. Pastor Adeboye uses a personal experience and the stories of David vs Eliab and Jesus vs Peter to illustrate how good intentions can oppose divine purpose.

As believers, we must develop spiritual discernment to know when to honour relationships and when to prioritise God’s instructions, even if it means disappointing those closest to us. True love for God will sometimes require us to lovingly but firmly say “no” to the protective or discouraging voices of loved ones. This message calls for courage, wisdom, and unwavering obedience to God above all else.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You for this eye-opening message. Give me the spirit of discernment to know when the counsel or actions of my loved ones are hindering Your perfect will for my life. Grant me the courage to obey You even when it is unpopular or painful to those close to me. Help me to love my family and friends without allowing their affection to become a stumbling block to my destiny. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

May the Lord help us all to always choose His will above every other thing. Stay blessed!