OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL Monday February 8th 2016 THEME: DELIVERANCE THROUGH PRAYER

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL
Monday February 8th 2016

THEME: DELIVERANCE THROUGH PRAYER

Memorise: Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye
may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. James 5:16

Read: Acts 12:1-8, 12 Now about that time Herod the king stretched forth his hands to vex certain of the church.
2 And he killed James the brother of John with the sword.
3 And because he saw it pleased the Jews, he proceeded further to take Peter also. (Then were the days of unleavened bread.)
4 And when he had apprehended him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four quaternions of soldiers to keep him; intending after Easter to bring him forth to the people.
5 Peter therefore was kept in prison: but prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him.
6 And when Herod would have brought him forth, the same night Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains: and the keepers before the door kept the prison.
7 And, behold, the angel of the Lord came upon him, and a light shined in the prison: and he smote Peter on the side, and raised him up, saying, Arise up quickly. And his chains fell off from his hands.
8 And the angel said unto him, Gird thyself, and bind on thy sandals. And so he did. And he saith unto him, Cast thy garment about thee, and follow me.

Bible in one year: Mark 5:21-6:56, Job 18:5-19

MESSAGE!!!
If children of God would take time to study the Word of God and pay great attention to His person, ways, attributes and commandments, the world would be a much better place. Prayers will be answered quickly and Christians will revel in the glory and favour of God. We will partially know the reason(s) behind God’s actions and what to do at any time to move His hands in our favour. By the grace of God, anyone that is conversant with the History and development of the Redeemed Christian Church of God will agree, without any doubt that God has constantly revealed His mind to us in the place of prayer. May His name be praised forevermore in Jesus’ name.
A careful study of the story of Hezekiah in Isaiah 36-38 reveals two important factors that lead to God’s deliverance through prayer. The first is recorded in Isaiah 37:20, where Hezekiah asks God to deliver Israel for His own sake and not theirs:
“Save us from his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that you alone are the Lord”
Isaiah 37:20
God responded by saving them for His glory. There is no greater and stronger foundation for our salvation than this. It is by His grace and it is accessible to all human beings without any qualification. It is open to the poor as well as the rich; it is open to men and women of all ages, race and background. Not because we deserve it, but to show that God is a merciful God who delights in showering blessings on His children.
The second factor is found in the same story. Hezekiah first prayed for Jerusalem’s existence that was being threatened and God graciously answered and saved Jerusalem, again he prayed for mercy and elongation of his own life and God answered too. In both cases, God’s deliverance came in direct response to a humble and desperate prayer. God will always respond to the desperate requests of His children because Jesus is our sinless high priest who makes it possible for us to approach the throne of grace with confidence.
The New Testament reveals a similar pattern in the book of Acts 12:1-8;
“Peter therefore was kept in prison: but prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him.”
Acts 12:5
The Lord answered the prayer of the Church with the miraculous deliverance of Peter. Here again, God answers the desperate prayer of His people for the glory of His Name. I therefore decree, as you make your request known to God this day, He will answer you by fire with signs following in Jesus’ Name.    

Prayer Point
Father, please don’t let me ever suffer any kind of defeat in Jesus’ name.

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL... DATE : THURSDAY 4th FEBRUARY 2016 THEME : REVIVAL THROUGH PRAYER

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL...
DATE : THURSDAY 4th FEBRUARY 2016
THEME : REVIVAL THROUGH PRAYER
Memorise:
After two days will be revive us: in the third day he will raise us up,
and we shall live in his sight. Hosea 6:2
Read: Hosea 6:1-6,
1. Come, and let us return unto the Lord: for he hath torn, and he will heal us; he hath smitten, and he will bind us up.
2: After two days will he revive us: in the third day he will raise us up, and we shall live in his sight.
3 Then shall we know, if we follow on to know the Lord: his going forth is prepared as the morning; and he shall come unto us as the rain, as the latter and former rain unto the earth.
4 O Ephraim, what shall I do unto thee? O Judah, what shall I do unto thee? for your goodness is as a morning cloud, and as the early dew it goeth away.
5 Therefore have I hewed them by the prophets; I have slain them by the words of my mouth: and thy judgments are as the light that goeth forth.
6 For I desired mercy, and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings.
MESSAGE
Prayer is a divine mechanism that God gave to Christians as a means of communicating with heaven. It is also a very powerful weapon for spiritual warfare. A man who has a fervent prayer life walks with God; no journey can be more blessed and productive than the one taken with the Almighty God through prayer. Simple prayers offered for individuals, the local community, the nation and the Church were responsible for much of the great miracles and moves of God in different parts of the world in history. The Bible in James 4:2 says,
“Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not.”
James 4:2
This passage states clearly that we could so much desire a thing to the point of killing for it, but this does not guarantee that we will get that desired thing. The only thing that guarantees our getting a lasting blessing is to ask in prayer.
When we speak of a revival, it must be clear to all that there is never such a thing as a revival if it does not start with prayer. Every revival in history came to be as result of prayer. The great revival under Jonathan Edwards in the eighteen century kicked off with his famous call to prayer. David Brainerd, Charles Finney, the Wesley brothers, the great revival of 1930 in Nigeria, and the one that gave birth to the Redeemed Christian Church of God, all started with prayer. As a matter of fact, every true awakening and revival always begins with prayer. The big question therefore is; do we need revival now?
Taking a cursory look at happening around the world, we will see clearly that what the world needs now is revival, more so when we consider happenings within the body of Christ. Things have deteriorated so badly, both the laity and clergy have departed from the path of holiness and truth. Today, the fruit and gifts of the Spirit are only evident in the lives of very few Christians. Many genuinely born again Christians are not living in sin but they are cold and operating far below expectation. The only solution to the problem of the Church now is revival. We must pray that God should revive us again, break through our self-centred daily routines, and fill us with the fire of revival as of old in Jesus’ name.
God is especially pleased to answer any prayer that is focused on the revival of God’s work and God’s people. In my personal experience, fervent prayers always preceded every great move of God. Even prophecies and revelations of God must be prayed into physical manifestation. Therefore as individuals, we need revival in our personal lives, we need revival in our local communities, and we need revival in our nation. The Church of God also needs revival for renewal, rededication and spiritual empowerment.
Prayer Point:
Father, please revive us again, fill us with the fire of revival for renewal and spiritual empowerment in Jesus’ name.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : MATHEW 25:31-26:68 and JOB 15:22-35
AUTHOR : Pst E. A ADEBOYE

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL DATE: TUESDAY 2ND FEBRUARY 2016 THEME: INTIMIDATED?

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL

DATE: TUESDAY 2ND FEBRUARY 2016

THEME: INTIMIDATED?

Memorise:
"Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:" 1 Peter 5:8

Read: 1 Kings 19:1-4
1. And Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, and withal how he had slain all the prophets with the sword.
2. Then Jezebel sent a messenger unto Elijah, saying, So let the gods do to me, and more also, if I make not thy life as the life of one of them by to morrow about this time.
3. And when he saw that, he arose, and went for his life, and came to Beer-sheba, which belongeth to Judah, and left his servant there.
4. But he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a juniper tree: and he requested for himself that he might die; and said, It is enough; now, O LORD, take away my life; for I am not better than my fathers.

Message:
A. Discouragement is usually defined as a lack of courage, a state of mind which is marked by fear of failure and loss of hope. 1. Discouragement is one of the powerful weapons commonly used by the devil to keep children of God from fulfilling their purpose.
2. Satan used it against the Israelites to prevent them from entering Canaan because they were intimidated by the circumstances surrounding conquering the Canaanites;
3. The Canaanite cities were very large, well fortified, and seemingly undefeatable. 4. These caused the heart of Israelites to melt within them to the extent that they lost faith in the Word of God, and could not act on the promises of God.
5. Discouragement is failure to live by faith because it usually leads to doubt, and an inability to view circumstances around us from a divine perspective.
6. Discouragement is therefore a sinful state of mind that is unable to adjust to disappointment and unfavourable circumstances in line with the Word of God and His promises.

B. It is important to note that discouragement is a powerful weapon of intimidation in the hands of the devil.
1. It usually comes whenever a person has an important objective to achieve.
2. For Example, Israel had an objective given to them by God; the walls of Jerusalem were to be rebuilt.
3. As the people embarked on the project with vigour and determination, they were faced with opposition from enemies and even the Jews.
4. The situation became intimidating to the point of demoralisation as recorded in Nehemiah 4:10-23.
5. At a point, some of the workers became discouraged while the wall was yet half finished, then the opposition intensified their attack using fear and intimidation as the chief weapon.
6. All these were masterminded by the devil to make it impossible for the Jews to rebuild the wall of Jerusalem at that time.
7. 1 Peter 5:8-9 says,
“Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: whom resist steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the World.”

C. The Bible admonishes us to be sober, vigilant, and watchful, always ready to resist and confront anyone that may want to weaken our hands from doing whatever assignment the Lord has committed to us.
1. By the grace of God, the success story of The Redeemed Christian Church of God is being told all over the world today, but when we first started, the steps that God used to bring in the results that are being celebrated were terribly criticised both within and outside church.
2. I decree that all oppositions to your success and breakthrough will be silenced today in Jesus’ Name. Amen!

Prayer Point:
Father, don't let me ever fall for discouragement from satanic intimidation in The Name of Jesus. Amen!

BIBBLE IN ONE YEAR: MATHEW 21:28-23:39 and JOB 14:18-15:6

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE
I Will Not Be! I Will Not Be Moved! I Will Not Be! I Will Not Be Moved! Just Like The Tree Planted By The River! I Will Not Be Moved!
Jesus With Me! I Will Not Be Moved! Jesus Loves Me! I Will Not Be Moved! Just Like The Tree Planted By The River! I Will Not Be Moved!
Emmanuel=GOD With Us!

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL. DATE: MONDAY 1 FEBRUARY 2016 THEME: LOOKING UNTO JESUS 2

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL.

DATE: MONDAY 1 FEBRUARY 2016

THEME: LOOKING UNTO JESUS 2

Memorise:
"Looking unto Jesus The Author and finisher of our faith;" Hebrew 12:2b

Read: HEBREWS 12:1-2
1. 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.

Message:
A. The phrase "Looking unto Jesus" contains Three Very Important Words of Salvation, Encouragement and Direction for daily Christian living.
1. Nicodemus, in his search for The True God and Eternal Life like every human being, approached Jesus for possible understanding.
2. Jesus made The New Birth very plain by using an Old Testament illustration of the fiery serpents of brass put on a pole for the Isrealites to look upon as recorded in the book of Numbers 21:8-9.
3. Numbers 21:8-9
And The Lord said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live.
And Moses made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole, and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived.
4. "And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must The Son of Man be lifted up. That whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have Eternal Life." John 3:14-15
5. As looking unto the brass serpent on a pole in faith brought healing to the children of Isreal in the wilderness, so also, whosoever shall look unto The Crucified Christ as The Messiah and The Saviour of the world by faith, shall receive forgiveness of sins and be Born Again.

B. From time to time in the rigorous journey of life, we sometimes find ourselves in a state of tiredness and confusion.
1. At such times, Apostle Paul in Hebrews 12:1-2 admonishes us to run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, The Author and The Finisher of our faith for encouragement.
2. We are not to look into Jesus for encouragement only, we are also to look into Jesus as Our Perfect Example, so as to follow in His Footsteps.
3. "For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us as example, that ye should follow His steps: Who did no sin, neither was guile found in His Mouth: Who, when He was reviled, reviled not again; when He suffered, He threatened not; but commuted Himself to Him that Judgeth Righteously" 1 Peter 2:21-23
4. Looking unto other gods for deliverance, healing and salvation has brought untold hardship and loss to many,
5. While looking unto great men and women that are successful in life and ministry has resulted in great disappointment, sorrow and pain.
6. As a matter of fact, this has been a major of failure in life, but there is no failure or disappointment in Jesus.
7. Looking unto Jesus can only increase your faith and lead to physical and spiritual upliftment.

C. We are to look unto Jesus in our daily Christain living as the Alpha and Omega, The Beginning and The End Who provides us with direction through His Word.
1. This also brings us in contact with the Divine Knowledge, Wisdom and Power of God.
2. An ordinary person therefore, becomes equipped to do exploits of supernatural dimensions.

Prayer Point :
Father, Please give me The Grace to always look unto You for everything I need in life. Amen!

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: MATHEW 19:1-21:27 and JOB 14:7-17

AUTHOR : Pastor E. A ADEBOYE
That Wonderful Name! JESUS! That Wonderful Name! JESUS! That Wonderful Name! JESUS! There Is No Other Name I Know!
Emmanuel=GOD With Us!