Open Heavens 28 February 2015: Saturday daily devotion by Pastor E. A. Adeboye - God Answers Prayers

Saturday, 28 February 2015

Open Heavens 28 February 2015: Saturday daily devotion by Pastor E. A. Adeboye - God Answers Prayers 

Memorise: Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: - Matthew 7:7

Read: (Psalm 5:1-3 KJV)

1 Give ear to my words, O LORD, consider my meditation.

2 Hearken unto the voice of my cry, my King, and my God: for unto thee will I pray.

3 My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O LORD; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up.

Bible in One Year: Ezekiel 23:1-24:14,and Revelation 8:13-9:19

MESSAGE:

Prayer is ordained by God as a means of communication between God and man. Christians are commanded to depends on God completely for all their needs, hopes and aspirations by bringing all their requests to Him in prayer (Philippians 4:6). In today’s memory verse, God challenges anyone who believes in Him to ask and they shall receive, to seek and they shall find, to knock and it shall be opened to them. He went further in John 16:24 where He said;

“Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full.”

This means that prayer is the means God has provided for Christians to have all of their needs satisfied. For this reason, God did not place any limitation on prayer; He tells us to pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17). So, you can continuously approach heaven without any fear of disturbing God.

Prayer symbolises trust and total dependence on God. Dependence on God for help with spiritual and physical needs arises out of an awareness of human helplessness (Psalm 18:6, Mark 4:38). The word of the Lord to those who would not pray because they have alternative means of getting things done is found in Jeremiah 17:5:

“ Thus saith the LORD; Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the LORD.”

But for those who trust in Him, He sends this word in Hebrew 4:16:

“Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.”

God answer prayers because He is the one who commanded that we should pray and He cannot deny Himself. Because we have access to God through Jesus (Ephesians 3:12), and because Jesus Himself gave us the assurance that He will do whatsoever we ask the Father in His Name (John 15:16), you can therefore go ahead and ask so that your joy may be full. All power in heaven and on earth belongs to God; He is the owner of all things visible and invisible. He is a loving Father, and He is only waiting to hear from you.

Action Point: Ask God for 5 things you need Him to do for you, and trust Him to answer

Open Heavens Daily Devotionalwritten by Pastor E.A. Adeboye, the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God,

Open Heavens 27 February 2015: Friday daily devotion by Pastor E. A. Adeboye - Wearing a Mask?

Topic: Wearing a Mask?  [Friday February 27, 2015]

Memorise: Be merciful unto me, O Lord: for I cry unto thee daily. - Psalm 86:3

Read: (Psalm 88:1-9 KJV)

1 O LORD God of my salvation, I have cried day and night before thee:

2 Let my prayer come before thee: incline thine ear unto my cry;

3 For my soul is full of troubles: and my life draweth nigh unto the grave.

4 I am counted with them that go down into the pit: I am as a man that hath no strength:

5 Free among the dead, like the slain that lie in the grave, whom thou rememberest no more: and they are cut off from thy hand.

6 Thou hast laid me in the lowest pit, in darkness, in the deeps.

7 Thy wrath lieth hard upon me, and thou hast afflicted me with all thy waves. Selah.

8 Thou hast put away mine acquaintance far from me; thou hast made me an abomination unto them: I am shut up, and I cannot come forth.

9 Mine eye mourneth by reason of affliction: LORD, I have called daily upon thee, I have stretched out my hands unto thee.

Bible in one year: Ezekiel 21-22, andRevelation 8:1-12

MESSAGE:

A mask is a full or partial cover for the face. It is used for disguised; to hide a person’s true identity, character or intentions away from being known or noticed. Also, the word “mask” could refer to a lifestyle that hides the real personality and emotions of a person. Putting on a mask portrays a hidden agenda, falsehood, hypocrisy, pretence, deception and double-mindedness. These are terms that should never be used to qualify a Christian or any action taken by a person who professes to be born-again.

“Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.” - Philippians 4:8

God expects His children to be truthful and honest in all things. Our utterances, outward appearance and the testimony about us should be a reflection of the inward person in us. Our “yes” should be yes and our “no” should be no. children of God should know how to speak the truth without hypocrisy (1 Timothy 4:2). Living a life of pretence is bad for many reasons, but the effect is more pronounced in prayers. When a person outwardly pretends to be born-again, holy, righteous, rich, happy and fulfilled, the inward man remains fully aware of the real situation and will find it very difficult to pray. Most importantly,James 1:6-8 confirms that God will never answer such prayers.

“For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord.” - James 1:7

The fathers and mothers of faith recorded in the Bible succeeded because they lived honest lives. From Bible accounts, Abraham, Moses, Elijah and David were very open and honest even in their mistakes. King David confessed his sins and cried to God for help and assistance. It is time to remove every mask and be sincere with God. Approach the throne of grace with genuine repentance and make your request known to God with all honesty. I prophecy that every request you make today will surely turn to a testimony in the Name of Jesus.

Prayer Point: Father, please destroy the root of hypocrisy, pretence and deception in my life in Jesus’ Name.

Open Heavens Daily Devotionalwritten by Pastor E.A. Adeboye, the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God

Open Heavens 26 February 2015: Thursday daily devotion by Pastor E. A. Adeboye - Lamentation as Praise!

Topic: Lamentation as Praise! [Thursday February 26, 2015]

Memorise: For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning. - Psalm 30:5

Read: (Psalm 30:7-12 KJV)

7 LORD, by thy favour thou hast made my mountain to stand strong: thou didst hide thy face, and I was troubled.

8 I cried to thee, O LORD; and unto the LORD I made supplication.

9 What profit is there in my blood, when I go down to the pit? Shall the dust praise thee? shall it declare thy truth?

10 Hear, O LORD, and have mercy upon me: LORD, be thou my helper.

11 Thou hast turned for me my mourning into dancing: thou hast put off my sackcloth, and girded me with gladness;

12 To the end that my glory may sing praise to thee, and not be silent. O LORD my God, I will give thanks unto thee for ever.

Bible in One Year: Ezekiel 19-20 andRevelation 7

MESSAGE:

A lamentation is a song mourning or sorrow. In the Bible, lamentations were usually motivated by national disasters (2 Chronicles 35:25), by bereavement (2 Samuel 3:33-34), personal suffering (Psalm 102:1-11) or by the judgment of God (Amos 5:1-2). Lamentations could also be inspired by repentance as shown in Daniel 9:4-20.

A lamentation can contain praise of express thanksgiving and gratitude to the Almighty God. Such was the lamentation of Daniel in Daniel 9. It was laced with praises to God even though He was mourning the captivity of the children of Israel. No wonder the Lord heard his lamentation and quickly dispatched an archangel to conform him. Jesus in Matthew 5:4 said:

“Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.”

This reveals that there is blessedness even in mourning. There is still a reason to glorify God for His goodness and His mercy even in morning. It shows that though there is lamentation, there will be clear reasons to praise God at the end. Singing songs of sorrow can therefore lead to comfort.

An example of sorrow leading to comfort is seen when we lament for our sins, mistakes and errors in such a way that leads to genuine repentance. Such repentance leads to righteousness.

“Now I rejoice, not that ye were made sorry, but that ye sorrowed to repentance: for ye were made sorry after a godly manner, that ye might receive damage by us in nothing. For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.” 2 Corinthians 7:9-10

In the above passage, the lamentation and sorrow of the Corinthians led to repentance. Paul rejoiced to see this genuine repentance take place in the life of the people. Godly sorrow brings repentance unto salvation. What started as lamentation or a song of sorrow, produced reasons to praise God at the end. Lamentation becomes a source of praise when godly sorrow produces genuine repentance. Such repentance leads to the joy of salvation, divine approval and blessing.

Prayer Point: Father, let your Church experience godly sorrow that leads to genuine repentance in Jesus’ Name.

Open Heavens Daily Devotionalwritten by Pastor E.A. Adeboye, the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God

Open Heavens 25 February 2015: Wednesday daily devotion by Pastor E. A. Adeboye - The Blessing of Thanksgiving

Topic: The Blessing of Thanksgiving [Wednesday February 25, 2015]

Memorise: It is a good thing to give thanks unto the LORD, and to sing praises unto thy name, O most High: -Psalm 92:1

Read: (Luke 17:11-19 KJV)

11 And it came to pass, as he went to Jerusalem, that he passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee.

12 And as he entered into a certain village, there met him ten men that were lepers, which stood afar off:

13 And they lifted up their voices, and said, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.

14 And when he saw them, he said unto them, Go shew yourselves unto the priests. And it came to pass, that, as they went, they were cleansed.

15 And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God,

16 And fell down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks: and he was a Samaritan.

17 And Jesus answering said, Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine?

18 There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger.

19 And he said unto him, Arise, go thy way: thy faith hath made thee whole.

Bible in One Year: Ezekiel 17-18 andRevelation 6:3-17

MESSAGE:

Thanksgiving to God, especially for gifts and blessings received, is required and expected. God abhors ungrateful people. God expects Christians to give thanks in all circumstances they are confronted with. In 1 Thessalonians 5:18, Apostle Paul wrote that:

“In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.”

Our Lord Jesus Christ also demonstrated to us the essence of thanksgiving. Several times, He gave thanks to the Father (John 11:41, Matthew 15:36, Luke 22:17).

God wants His children to thank Him and show gratitude for everything that happens in their lives. We are to thank God when we are full and when we are empty. We are to continuously show appreciation for the many things we normally take for granted. Our willingness to thank God should not be based on our mood, i.e. whether we are happy or not. It should not be based only on the things we receive and recognise as gifts and blessings; we should also thank God for the miracle of sleeping and waking up, for the gift of life, for the salvation of our souls and for divine health. Thank God for the ability to use every part of your body; that you can eat, drink, see, walk, speak, learn and interact with people. Thank God because no matter what you are going through, you are still better off in certain areas compared to some other people on the face of the earth.

Thanksgiving to God can be expressed in several different ways. However, offering thanksgiving to God in an acceptable manner guarantees an immediate response from God. Solomon chose to give a thousand burnt offerings (2 Chronicles 1:6), one of the lepers in our Bible text fell down and glorified God with a loud voice (Luke 17:15-16), while David showed gratitude in song and with dancing (2 Samuel 6:14). God responded to Solomon by giving him a blank cheque to ask for anything he wanted. The leper had a partial healing at first, but Jesus made him completely whole after he offered thanks. God was pleased with David and He established his throne forever. Each of these three received a blessing from God that was irreversible. I pray therefore that as you praise and thank the Lord for His goodness and mercy over you over your life, you will receive irreversible blessing from Him in Jesus’ Name.

Prayer Point: Father, please give me a heart of gratitude and put on me the garment of thanksgiving.

Open Heavens Daily Devotionalwritten by Pastor E.A. Adeboye, the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God

Open Heavens 24 February 2015: Tuesday daily devotion by Pastor E. A. Adeboye - Power in His Name

Topic: Power in His Name [Tuesday February 24, 2015]

Memorise: Give unto the LORD the glory due unto his name; worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness. - Psalm 29:2

Read: (Philippians 2:9-11 KJV)

9 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:

10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;

11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Bible in one year: Ezekiel 16,Revelation 5:1-6:2

MESSAGE:

One of the first things that a genuinely born-again Christian will quickly recognise about the Christian experience is the fact that there is power in the Name of Jesus. Immediately a fellow accepts Jesus as Lord and Saviour, the powers that used to manipulate and controls things in the person’s life become paralysed as he or she begins to call upon the Name of the Lord. This is simply because all power belongs to Jesus (Matthew 28:18), and He has deposited so much of his power in His Name. Seldom do you have the Lord making the same statement twice at one instance, but He did this with regard to His Name in John 14:13-14, saying:

“And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.”

At the mention of the Name of Jesus, irrespective of the environment or circumstance, every shall bow in heaven, on earth and under the earth (Philippians 2:10-11). The power in the Name of Jesus is so potent and active that there is no limitation whatsoever to what you can achieve through the application of the Name. The dead has come alive by the Name, sorrow has been turned to joy in many lives by the Name, and the Name has brought salvation to billions of souls.

The Name of Jesus carries supreme authority and unlimited power. Having understood this truth, you ought to praise His Name at all times and deploy the power in His Name against all challenges and circumstances you are confronted with. A certain man caught the revelation of the power in the Name of Jesus even before His death and resurrection, and he displayed it. He was not even one of the disciples who were with Jesus or among those who followed Jesus at all times. Yet, he understood the power in the Name of Jesus and he took advantage of it. Mark 9:38-39 says:

“And John answered him, saying, Master, we say one casting out devils in thy name, and he followeth not us: and we forbad him, because he followeth not us. But Jesus said, forbid him not: for there is no man which shall do a miracle in my name, that can lightly speak evil of me.”

The power in the Name of Jesus will do you no good if you do not apply it. As you call upon the Name of Jesus today, may the potent power in His Name work for you in Jesus’ Name.

Action Point: Praise the power in the Name of Jesus and then hold Him to His word by asking for your heart’s desire in His Name.

Open Heavens Daily Devotionalwritten by Pastor E.A. Adeboye, the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God

Topic: Worshipping the Unknown God? [Monday February 23, 2015]

Memorise: Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews. - John 4:22

Read: (Acts 17:16-23 KJV)

16 Now while Paul waited for them at Athens, his spirit was stirred in him, when he saw the city wholly given to idolatry.

17 Therefore disputed he in the synagogue with the Jews, and with the devout persons, and in the market daily with them that met with him.

18 Then certain philosophers of the Epicureans, and of the Stoicks, encountered him. And some said, What will this babbler say? other some, He seemeth to be a setter forth of strange gods: because he preached unto them Jesus, and the resurrection.

19 And they took him, and brought him unto Areopagus, saying, May we know what this new doctrine, whereof thou speakest, is?

20 For thou bringest certain strange things to our ears: we would know therefore what these things mean.

21 (For all the Athenians and strangers which were there spent their time in nothing else, but either to tell, or to hear some new thing.)

22 Then Paul stood in the midst of Mars' hill, and said, Ye men of Athens, I perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious.

23 For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you.

Bible in one year: Ezekiel 13-15, andRevelation 4

MESSAGE:

Apostle Paul was taking a walk through the old city of Athens as a visitor when he noticed an altar with this inscription: ' TO THE UNKNOWN GOD'. Paul was aware that Athens at that particular period was filled with philosophers of either epicurean beliefs or those of stoic principles. Epicureans were devoted to sensual pleasure. They have sensitive tastes, expecially in food and wine, and they loved to enjoy the good things of life. On the other hand, Stoics were professedly indifferent to pleasure or pain, free from passion,unmoved by Joy or grief and submissive to the natural law. These philosophers prided themselves as custodians of exceptional of wisdom and knowledge in all areas of life including issues about God and religion. When they met Apostle Paul, being persuaded of their superior wisdom, they were quick to ask "What will this babbler say?" However, their folly was already evident in this inscription. This story still rings true today. Because knowledge has greatly increased all over the world, scientists and philosophers proudly try to impose their limited mortal theories as superior to the knowledge of the Almighty God.

However, like the Athenians of Paul's days, these are genuine seekers among today's scientists and philosophers, who will readily accept Jesus as Lord and Saviour and submit to the authority of the Scriptures if the right opportunity is made available to them. The truth is: God is spiritual being. His existence cannot be investigated or proved scientifically; neither can He be searched out through philosophical investigations. Therefore, God can only be known by faith, through the revelation knowledge made available by the gospel of Jesus Christ (Luke 10:22). And more importantly, the whole Bible provides extremely convincing factual evidence that God exists and that Jesus Christ Is the son of the Living God (Colossians 1:15-17)

It is therefore time to expose the error of the unknown God and begin to propagate a more perfect knowledge of the Living God. We must use every available opportunity to reach the world with the message of gospel of Jesus Christ. It is the power of God unto salvation. It is the sure way to forgiveness, deliverance, healing, peace, joy and prosperity. Remember, time is short. Begin to vigorously propagate the gospel today, and great rewards will accrue to your account here on earth and in heaven in Jesus' Name.

Prayer Point: Father, please grant me the grace to be an addicted soul winner in Jesus' Name.

Open Heavens Daily Devotionalwritten by Pastor E.A. Adeboye, the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God

Open Heavens 21 February 2015: Saturday daily devotion by Pastor E. A. Adeboye - Practical Worship: Dancing

Topic: Practical Worship: Dancing [Saturday February 21, 2015]

Memorise: Let them praise his name in the dance: let them sing praises unto him with the timbrel and harp. - Psalm 149:3

Read: (Psalm 103:1-5 KJV)

1 Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name.

2 Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits:

3 Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases;

4 Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies;

5 Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle's.

Bible in One Year: Ezekiel 7-9, andRevelation 2:18-3:6

MESSAGE:

We can worship God in various ways and manners. It is possible to worship God in song, dance and even in silence. However, throughout the Bible, practical worship is the preferred mode of worship whenever God does something great for His people. On the day God miraculously delivered Israel from Pharaoh and the Egyptian army, the people practically worshipped God with songs and dancing (Exodus 15:1&20). After each victory or manifestation of the signs and wonders of God in the wilderness, the Israelites always responded with shouts of joy accompanied with singing and dancing. Moses, Hannah, David, the women of Israel and even the prophets at different times in history composed various songs to glorify the Name of the Lord. It is clear from all of these cases that practical worship, also known as the sacrifice of praise, always begins with the fruit of the lips. Hebrew 13:15 says:

“By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name.”

A good example of practical worship is found in Exodus 15. After the deliverance of Israel at the Red Sea, the Bible says that Moses and Miriam composed songs (the fruit of their lips) which led to the use of timbrels and dancing. In another example, Chenaniah and choir master and the singers of Israel were singing high praises to the Lord with the national orchestra. This resulted in King David and all of Israel shouting and leaping to the praise of the Most High God (1 Chronicles 15:27-29).

These who have been with the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) over the years know that one of the secrets of our success is practical worship. I am so addicted to practical worship that from my early days in the ministry, I was nicknamed the dancing pastor. The RCCG is known to be a singing and dancing Church. Many have also identified us as a shouting Church. It is therefore because of our disposition to practical worship that God has been so wonderful to us. The Lord is good. More than ever before, He is worthy of our praise this year. For His love and mercy, for His countless miracles, for His signs and wonders, we need to appreciate Him. Go ahead and give Him practical worship in songs and dance throughout today. As you worship Him today, may He multiply His blessing in your life Jesus’ Name.

Key Point: You must become an addicted worshipper to receive the best from God.

Open Heavens Daily Devotionalwritten by Pastor E.A. Adeboye, the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, 

Open Heavens 20 February 2015: Friday daily devotion by Pastor E. A. Adeboye - Christian Atheist

Topic: Christian Atheist? [Friday February 20, 2015]

Memorise: Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. - 1 John 2:15

Read: (2 Timothy 3:1-5, KJV)

1 This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.

2 For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,

3 Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,

4 Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;

5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.

Bible in one year: Ezekiel 4-6, andRevelation 2:1-17

MESSAGE:

Our Bible reading today reveals some strange characteristics of the last days that should in no wise be mentioned among children of God. Unfortunately, many of these behaviours dominate the Church today. Frankly speaking, behaviours such as being a lover of self, blaspheming, being unholy, treachery and loving of pleasures beyond loving God, more accurately described ungodly people (atheists). But because professed Christians are found among those who openly manifest and defend such behaviours today, the designation “Christian Atheists” has become necessary. Christian atheists are therefore professing Christians who believe, act and defend behaviours and characteristics that are contrary to Christian values as recorded in the Bible.

The most noticeable error of a Christian atheist is commitment to the philosophy and ways of the world. They profess to be Christians but find it easy to identify with the world in principle, word, action and general worldview. This is contrary to the word of God in James 4:4 that says,

“Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? Whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.”

And the admonition of Titus 2:12

“Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;”

Furthermore, preoccupation with the things of this world is incompatible with holy living. The commitment of the Christian atheist to the world is especially seen in the area of materialism and worldliness, which the word of God warns against in 1 John 2:15. This commitment of the world leads to disappointment, failure, physical and spiritual loss, and ultimately God’s judgment (Luke 9:25, Ephesians 5:6). Perilous times are here! The right attitude to take in times as these is to heed the admonition of the word of God in Romans 12:1-2, by resisting the temptation to conform to the standards of this world. Rather, we should seek to be transformed into the image of Christ by the renewing of our minds.

Prayer Point: Father, please expose every atheistic tendency in the body of Christ and rid your Church of all contrary behaviours in Jesus’ Name.

Open Heavens Daily Devotionalwritten by Pastor E.A. Adeboye, the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God,