Open Heavens Devotional.

Monday 7th September, 2015.

THE LONG WAIT.

Memorise

And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the
beginning of the creation.
-2 Peter 3:4.

Read: Matthew 25:1-13.

Message

Imagine that while running a marathon, with all your focus on the finish line, you suddenly run out of energy; would it be easy for you to
complete the race? Definitely not! Most likely,
you would have to pull out of the race. We see
this scenario repeatedly playing out itself in the Christian race. Many people who started the Christian race, who were expected to run the race to the end, have suddenly run out of steam and are falling by the wayside. When the 10 virgins in our Bible reading started their race, they all hoped to finish it. One lesson this parable teaches us is that the race may be longer than expected. If anything, you must plan to run for as long as it takes until you reach the finish line. Only five of the virgins realised the need to sustain their resolve, and so they were careful to carry some extra oil.

Beyond what every other person is doing, what
additional preparations are you making and
what extra precautions are you taking with
respect to the race set before you? If you truly
want to reach the end of this Heaven-bound
journey, you will need more steam in your
reserves. You will need more of the anointing,
because it's not by power nor by might that
victory is secured. The anointing that works
miracles, signs and wonders is different from
the anointing that gives grace to hold the baton till the very end. Your zeal to continue needs to be renewed daily. May you never lack the will or the power to run the race!
We are in a marathon: the course of which can
sometimes be longer than expected. It can also
be more stressful and more demanding than we ever thought. When I got saved, most of us who were saved at that time believed that Jesus would most likely come back within 10 years of our salvation. I was a lecturer then, and on several occasions, some students would come to me asking "Since the Lord is coming very soon, why are we studying?" I told them that since Jesus asked us to occupy until He comes, they needed to continue their studies and do other legitimate things, especially since we were not told the exact time or day of His coming. A colleague of mine who was supposed to pursue a PhD programme even cancelled it. He believed
that Jesus would come really soon, and so
acquiring a PhD would be useless. Over 30 years down the line, we are still waiting for the Lord.

Don't be tired of waiting for the Lord's return.
Occupy yourself with the things He gave you to
do, and keep being focused. You shall surely
reach the end of the race, and you will finish
strong in Jesus' Name.

Action Point

In expectation of the Lord Jesus, live each day as if it were your last, but do not neglect to do all that is expected of you.

Open Heavens Devotional.

Tuesday 8th September, 2015.

DEMONS HINDER DESTINIES.

Memorise

But he answered and said, Every plant, which my heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted up.
- Matthew 15:13.

Read: Luke 8:1-3.

1 And it came to pass afterward, that he went throughout every city and village, preaching and shewing the glad tidings of the kingdom of God: and the twelve were with him,

2 And certain women, which had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities, Mary called Magdalene, out of whom went seven devils,

3 And Joanna the wife of Chuza Herod's steward, and Susanna, and many others, which ministered unto him of their substance.

Message

As a believer in Christ, one of the traits that should differentiate you from an ordinary fellow is the ability to cast out demons (Mark 16:17). However, if demons are tormenting you and you fail to do something about them, don't expect God to do anything either. He has already done what He should do by giving you authority over them. He expects you to exercise this authority before He takes the next step of enforcement. The ball is now in your court; if you fail to pass it to Him, He will leave you with the ball. In 2 Kings 4:1-7, we read of a widow whose husband was a prophet. The man died and left her with two boys and a lot of debt. Initially, when the creditor came calling, she was not bothered.

She would have thought within herself that after all, she was not the only one owing money. She might have said to herself like some people in Nigeria would say: "Even Nigeria as a nation is indebted, and so is America for that matter; so what is the big deal if I owe people money?" Although the Almighty God was there on His throne with all His power, might, zeal and resources, He could not do anything to help her for as long as she tolerated poverty, lack and debt. But one day, tired of repeated fruitless visits, her creditor came and threatened to sell her sons into slavery if she was unable to pay the debt. Pushed to the wall, she cried out for help, and help came. She was delivered from the threat that would have hindered her boys from fulfilling their destinies. When will you be tired of managing or condoning your unpleasant situation?

Let us note a few things about deliverance. It is a great thing to be delivered. Mary Magdalene was delivered of seven powerful demons, and she eventually became a divine treasurer. Her destiny was to be a divine treasurer ministering to the needs of Jesus, but for as long as the demons were in her, she could not fulfil this. This simply tells us that one way the devil tries to hinder a person from fulfilling his or her destiny is by sending one or more demons to possess him or her. When such demons come into that individual, they will give the fellow some other assignment to distract their victim from the original purpose of God. When an evil spirit took over the position of the Holy Spirit in the heart of King Saul, he became tormented. Demons torment their victims tremendously. If you have been delivered from the hands of demons, you will appreciate your freedom. Are you still allowing demons to hinder your destiny? It's time to confront them today! Jesus wants to set you free. You just need to cooperate with Him.

Prayer Point

Father, send Your fire to chase out the presence and manipulating effect of demons in my life, family and ministry.

Open Heavens Devotional.

Wednesday 9th September, 2015.

TRUE SATISFACTION.

Memorise

And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power:
- Colossians 2:10.

Read: John 7:37-39.

37 In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink.

38 He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.

39 (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)

Message

Our Lord Jesus Christ is so awesome; not only does He provide peace, joy, promotion, victory and rest, He also gives satisfaction. The Bible in John 7:37 says:

"In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink."

Jesus Christ is the true thirst-quencher. He knows what you need and has it in abundance. He is willing to quench that thirst of yours if only you would take it to Him. Today, many people realise that they need something in their life. They can feel unexplainable hunger pangs within their souls and are gripped with a strong thirst for something inside of them. But because they do not really know what can quench their thirst and satisfy their hunger, they use just about anything to try to fill this void. No human, material or spiritual substitute can fill the vacuum that God has reserved for Himself inside of you. When God created you, He made a space specially for Himself inside you; no one but Him is to occupy this space. Unfortunately, many people have allowed other things to enter into that space. This amounts to putting a square peg in a round hole: it can never fit!

That thirst to serve God was put inside you by God. He alone can quench it. Becoming religious cannot satisfy that thirst. All you have to do is to repent of your sins, ask for God's forgiveness and invite Jesus Christ to live inside you, and He will completely fill that space like a round peg in a round hole! If you understand John 1:9, you will realise that Jesus Christ has a role to play in the life of every human being He created. Until He lights you up, you will remain in darkness. No religion can light you up! This is why Colossians 2:10 says:

"And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power."

This Scripture reveals that without Jesus Christ, no human being is complete. It was the need for completion that necessitated the removal of a rib from Adam to form Eve. Every human being was created incomplete, and it is only by receiving Jesus that they become complete and whole. Living without Jesus is like trying to drive a car without the control of a steering wheel. Such a car would be out of control. It will eventually crash and become a wreck! Why not allow the Controller of the universe to take over your "tiny" life today?

Action Point

Entrust your life into the same hands that control the universe today.

Open Heavens Devotional.

Thursday 10th September, 2015.

GOD: AN ENCOURAGER.

Memorise

I will hear what God the LORD will speak: for he will speak peace unto his people, and to his saints: but let them not turn again to folly.
- Colossians 2:10.

Read: Psalm 85:7-9.

7 Shew us thy mercy, O Lord, and grant us thy salvation.

8 I will hear what God the Lord will speak: for he will speak peace unto his people, and to his saints: but let them not turn again to folly.

9 Surely his salvation is nigh them that fear him; that glory may dwell in our land.

Message

“Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD." Psalm 27:14.

After you have suffered a major loss, or when everything around you appears gloomy and bleak, turn your focus on the Lord. When those you look up to fail you, look up to God. He is the only One who will never fail you. Have your friends in the Christian race turned their backs on God? Are you becoming discouraged and wondering whether to continue with Christ or to join your backslidden friends? Focus on Christ and He will sustain you. Has your pastor done something so painful to you, to the extent that you are thinking of either leaving the church or going back into the world? Look up to Jesus! Remember, the Christian race accommodates everyone who has repented, but it is still a very personal race. If your friend or pastor chooses to go to Hell, must you go with them? No! Never be discouraged from doing the work that God has assigned to you, irrespective of contrary pressures from human and demonic forces.

Several years ago, just after I became a pastor in the Redeemed Christian Church of God, there was a misunderstanding among the ministers of the church. Some people I highly respected disappointed me, so much so that I became depressed and discouraged. As I returned from the headquarters of the church at Ebute Metta, to the University of Lagos where I was lecturing, a traffic warden stopped my car at St. Agnes junction. While I was waiting, I said to myself, "If this is what they call the gospel, and it is not taking me forward, then I will go back to where I am coming from." Almost immediately, the Lord spoke to me saying "Son, why are you so sad?" My reply was "Lord, You know all things. You saw all that happened." Then He said "True, this fellow disappointed you, but have I ever disappointed you?" With that word, courage, hope and joy flooded my heart, and I moved from the valley to the mountain top. I went my way, singing "I have a God who never fails". God is your greatest antidote to discouragement. Look up to Him and He will send you the right words that will terminate sorrow and discouragement in you. Are you disheartened? Feed on God's word, remember His promises and recall how He has answered your prayers in the past. After doing all these, place your hope and trust in Him.

Action Point

When God encourages you, no discouragement can hold you back. Ask for His encouragement today.

Open Heavens Devotional.

Friday 11th September, 2015.

SCHEMING: NOT ALLOWED.

Memorise

But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will.
- 1 Corinthians 12:11.

Read: Numbers 16:8-14.

Message

In Numbers 16, we read of a highly explosive rebellion that rocked God's people in the wilderness. Some leaders were not satisfied with the level of assignment God had apportioned to them. Instead of going through Moses to God to ask if there could be an expansion of their job description, they began to eye the priesthood. They wondered how God could give them so little an assignment considering their zeal to serve Him. How could some other people be chosen as the priests when they were there? At some point, they succeeded in convincing 250 popular leaders, who were princes, to favour their cause. What started like a joke had become a great revolt. In the end, the Lord Himself stepped in and delivered judgement to all concerned.

From this story, we should learn to be content with whatever God gives to us. God gives talents to every person according to their abilities. The Holy Spirit is in charge of assigning job descriptions to the children of God. 1 Corinthians 12:11 says:

"But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will."

He is in charge of God's vineyard, and so He is the One to give you the portion you should work on. Also, He will give you the required ability and the spiritual stamina to perform the assignment. Someone may say, "I am still an ordinary altar minister, whereas by now I should have become a zonal pastor." The Holy Spirit knows why you are where you are.

You can be sure that when you need to occupy a higher office than where you are now, He will take you there. However, to move up the ladder in God's Kingdom is not by acts of the flesh but by the will of the Spirit. You are not permitted to seek higher office by scheming out your leader in order to take his place. Some people do this and succeed in replacing their leader, but they are completely outside of God's plan and out of their divine assignment. They are no longer in God's employment; they now serve their own bellies at best or the devil at worst. Any work done by such ecclesiastical rogues will never attract any reward from Heaven, because the foundation of that service is not the Holy Spirit. If they ever make it to Heaven, they will be told "You worked for yourself and not for God, so go and reward yourself."

Key Point

Many leaders are operating in God's permissive will, outside of His perfect will. That God has not stopped you from following your inordinate ambitions does not mean He approves or supports your actions.

Open Heavens Devotional.

Saturday 12th September, 2015.

YOUR DESTINY IS UNSTOPPABLE.

Memorise

Thou wilt say then unto me, Why doth he yet find fault? For who hath resisted his will?
- Romans 9:19.

Read: Jeremiah 1:4-7.

4 Then the word of the Lord came unto me, saying,

5 Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.

6 Then said I, Ah, Lord God! behold, I cannot speak: for I am a child.

7 But the Lord said unto me, Say not, I am a child: for thou shalt go to all that I shall send thee, and whatsoever I command thee thou shalt speak.

Message

If God has a destination for you, your present situation cannot stop Him. The circumstances of life surrounding young Esther as a slave girl did not stop her from becoming queen of a very powerful kingdom. In the Name of Jesus Christ, your present circumstances shall not stop you from arriving at your God-appointed destiny! Similarly, concerning where God is taking you, your past does not matter. 2 Corinthians 5:17 says if you are in Christ, old things are passed away and everything has become new. For this reason, God commands you thus in Isaiah 43:18:

"Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old."

If you are sure of your salvation in Christ, whatever was in your past that the enemy wants to use in hindering your destiny will receive a divine touch. Everything in your past that can destroy your present and future, especially as relates to your destiny, shall be completely arrested by God today. From today, the mercy of God will go ahead of you, and your past shall no longer hinder you. Every accusing finger pointing at you shall stop in Jesus' Name. The Lord says this to you in Romans 8:1:

"There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit."

Moreover, another vital information you should have is that God is the One who decides destinies. He told Jeremiah: "I have determined what you would be, long before I formed you and put you in your mother's womb. While you were still in your mother's womb, I ordained you to be a prophet to nations." Long before you were born, God had already decided what you will be. He did not consult with your parents before taking His decision about your destiny. If He did, they could have disqualified you. "Witches and wizards from your village" did not know what was going on at that time. They were not there when God was planning your life, hence they can't stop you. In His mind, God has decided the following concerning you: it shall be well with you, you shall live to glorify His Name, you shall not die prematurely, you shall fulfil your destiny, and many more. Every good thing that the Lord has decided concerning you shall be established! Every destiny destroyer sent to hinder you shall fail and fall. Your tomorrow shall be far greater than your today. Every force that tries to hinder you shall be destroyed by the fire of the Holy Ghost in Jesus' Name.

Prayer Point

Father, paralyse every gang-up of the enemy that wants to stop the good things You have started in my life.

Open Heavens Devotional.

Sunday 13th September, 2015.

HE GRAFTS IN.

Memorise

Thou wilt say then, The branches were broken off, that I might be grafted in.
- Romans 11:19.

Read: Romans 11:16-20.

16 For if the firstfruit be holy, the lump is also holy: and if the root be holy, so are the branches.

17 And if some of the branches be broken off, and thou, being a wild olive tree, wert grafted in among them, and with them partakest of the root and fatness of the olive tree;

18 Boast not against the branches. But if thou boast, thou bearest not the root, but the root thee.

19 Thou wilt say then, The branches were broken off, that I might be grafted in.

20 Well; because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be not highminded, but fear:

Message

Grafting is an agricultural technique used for propagating fruit trees. It involves cutting a section of the stem of one tree and inserting it into the stock of another tree. A part of the tree providing the stock must be cut off before grafting can take place. This technique is used in order to make fruit trees reproduce true to type. Today's Bible reading describes our entry into the family of God as a form of this process. The Almighty God has the power to reverse the irreversible. In the process of doing this, He can disconnect a person in order to connect another. Romans 11:17 says that God can take a branch from a wild olive tree and graft it into a good olive tree, so that instead of the wild branch producing bitter fruit, it will deliver good fruit. Are you living recklessly and on your way to Hell? As you repent of your sins today and turn your life over to Jesus, God will graft you into the Body of Christ, so that your future that was supposed to end in bitterness will end in sweetness.

The children of Israel were beneficiaries of grafting as an act of God. Seven powerful nations had inhabited the Promised Land for several years before God chose that portion of the earth for His children (Deuteronomy 7:1). He decided to cut off those nations and bring in His children. This season, the Lord will displace the current movers and shakers of the most productive sectors of the world, in order to make room for you in Jesus' Name.

Another beneficiary of God's grafting was Esther. She was an orphan who became a slave when some soldiers raided her city and took her captive (Esther 2:5-7). She knew sorrow and was meant to die a slave, but God went into her future and said, "You shall not die a slave but a queen". For this to take place, God used Queen Vashti's mistake to cut her off, so that the slave girl could be grafted in as queen. Are you a slave or a house-help, wondering if you will die in that present condition? The Lord who did it for Esther will go into your future and effect the necessary changes to make you a noteworthy person. Are people expecting your life to end in misery? No, my God will not let it happen! Your tomorrow shall be alright. You shall have the type of experience Esther had, and your end shall be honourable like that of Jabez (1 Chronicles 4:9-10). You shall end well. Are you empty now? You shall end full. God will disappoint all the expectations of your enemies in Jesus' Name.

Prayer Point

Father, as I submit myself to You, graft me into greatness today.

Open Heavens Devotional.

Monday 14th September, 2015.

THE RIGHT ROOT.

Memorise

And have no root in themselves, and so endure but for a time: afterward, when affliction or persecution ariseth for the word's sake, immediately they are offended.
- Mark 4:17.

Read: Mark 4:16-17.

16 And these are they likewise which are sown on stony ground; who, when they have heard the word, immediately receive it with gladness;

17 And have no root in themselves, and so endure but for a time: afterward, when affliction or persecution ariseth for the word's sake, immediately they are offended.

Message

In a marathon, not everyone who starts the race reaches the finish line. Several people drop out of the race due to one reason or the other. In the same way, several people are dropping out of the race to meet Christ the Redeemer on the last day. The parable of the sower reveals some of the reasons why people will not get to the finish line of the Christian race. One of such reasons is not being rooted and grounded in the word of God. Jesus gives further insight into this in Mark 4:17:

"And have no root in themselves, and so endure but for a time: afterward, when affliction or persecution ariseth for the word's sake, immediately they are offended."

The root of a tree is very important to its survival. If you cut down every part of most trees and leave the roots, the tree will spring up again. All the nourishment that sustains the fruits, leaves and branches of a tree are received through its roots. Also, it is the roots that hold the tree when the wind comes against it. If the roots are few or tiny, the tree will also be limited in its ability to feed and stay fixed; but if the roots are many, big and strong, the tree will feed well and endure. Note that every tree has roots whose size is directly proportional to the size of the tree. It is therefore the size of your root in Christ that will determine how big you will grow in His kingdom.
A heavy wind blew one rainy day and it caused a big tree located by the roadside to fall. People marvelled that such a huge tree could be brought down by the wind, but after they looked closely, they discovered that the roots of this tree did not go deep enough into the ground, and so the bottom of the tree appeared flat. No wonder it fell!

In the Christian faith, the root refers to the foundation on which one's faith in Jesus Christ is established. If the foundation is bad, it will definitely affect the growth and stability of the tree. Any fruit produced will have problems if the root is not the right size or does not go deep enough. Many believers who bungled their trip to Heaven had a bad foundation in Christ. Either their roots were developed wrongly, or their roots did not go deep enough. This is why care should be taken to groom young converts very well through the teaching of the word. They should be exposed to the sincere, undiluted milk of the word (1 Peter 2:2). What is the state of your foundation in Christ? Do you have big, strong roots that can give you stability until the race ends?

Prayer Point

Father, give me the right roots that will make me grow into a gigantic tree in your kingdom.

Open Heavens Devotional.

Tuesday 15th September, 2015.

AFRAID OF YOUR MIRROR IMAGE?

Memorise

For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass:
- James 1:23.

Read: James 1:22-25.

22 But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.

23 For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass:

24 For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was.

25 But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.

Message

The word of God is very central to our life as believers. In the very last admonition of Moses to the children of Israel, He said the word of God is their very life (Deuteronomy 32:46-47). For believers in Christ today, the word of God is also our life, because it is through it that we are born-again, as revealed in 1 Peter 1:23:

"Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever."

After we are born-again, the word of God performs several functions in our life. One aspect of these functions which is rather interesting is that it works as our mirror.
A mirror shows the reflection of the one using it. A man may hold an opinion of himself for a long period, but when he has the opportunity to look in a mirror, he will see himself as he is. In this age of flattery and political correctness, you may be shocked by the time you compare what you see in a mirror before you, to people's assessment of your person. Why is this so? We live in a time when it has become very difficult for people to call a spade a spade. They prefer to tell you what you want to hear. They are prepared to flatter you and say those things that can keep them in your good books, particularly if they hope to curry your favour. If the friends you surround yourself with cannot point out your faults when you go wrong, change them. If you don't, they will lead you astray.

Unlike men who will flatter you, the word of God tells you who or what you are without fear or favour. When you stand before the perfect law of liberty, you will see yourself exactly how God sees you. The word of God will reveal the stains in your garment of salvation and show you the wrinkles on your robe of righteousness. One reason why people avoid hearing, reading or studying the Bible is because they are afraid of seeing their true picture. They want to continue to live under self-deception. Some other people look at the mirror of God's word, see their stains, dents and imperfections, and yet they refuse to do anything about it. This is the height of foolishness! If God's word cannot correct you, what else can? The Bible in James 1:21 says:

"Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls."

Receive God's verdict about you in His word today, and stop trying to justify yourself.

Action Point

Every time you look into the Bible and you see something amiss in your robe of righteousness, immediately correct it.

Open Heavens Devotional.

Wednesday 16th September, 2015.

THE REAL FIX YOU NEED!

Memorise

Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else.
- Isaiah 45:22.

Read: Isaiah 45:20-25.

20 Assemble yourselves and come; draw near together, ye that are escaped of the nations: they have no knowledge that set up the wood of their graven image, and pray unto a god that cannot save.
21 Tell ye, and bring them near; yea, let them take counsel together: who hath declared this from ancient time? who hath told it from that time? have not I the Lord? and there is no God else beside me; a just God and a Saviour; there is none beside me.
22 Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else.
23 I have sworn by myself, the word is gone out of my mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, That unto me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear.
24 Surely, shall one say, in the Lord have I righteousness and strength: even to him shall men come; and all that are incensed against him shall be ashamed.
25 In the Lord shall all the seed of Israel be justified, and shall glory.

Message

In an attempt to fill the void created by the absence of God in some people's lives, they find themselves using mind-bending substances. This is very rampant in societies that have replaced God with government. In admission of their failure to achieve this folly in the lives of men, some of them now allow the free use of these substances. What they fail to realise is that without Jesus Christ, you can never be complete (Colossians 2:10). Nothing else can take His place. The effects of mind-bending drugs such as marijuana or cocaine can never fill His space in the heart. If you take any of these, it will only take you "high" into a world of hallucination: an unreal world that Satan creates for you while the effects of these drugs last, but afterwards, he drops you far below where he took you from, leaving you feeling deeply depressed, dissatisfied, empty and naked.

Any person who uses mind-bending substances will always want to experience the "high" feeling again and again in a vicious cycle. It is ironic that there is never a feeling of satisfaction derived from the use of these substances. Rather, one wrap becomes too small and the fellow moves on to two, three, four or even five in order to experience the effect that used to be derived from just a single wrap or shot. It gets to a stage where they now live for hard drugs. At this point, nothing else matters to them but another wrap or shot All along, each use of these substances leads the user into madness.

No hard drug satisfies, but Jesus Christ does. He is the "hard drug" that can fix your life once and for all. Take one shot of Jesus Christ and He will take you truly high and keep you there. One wrap of Jesus will give you a bit of the heavenly experience that will increase every passing day as you fellowship with Him. Have you received Jesus into your life? Are you a drug addict? Do you need a fix every now and then? All you need is Jesus! He satisfies. He will quench your thirst for inordinate things.
Receive Him into your heart and it shall be well with you. Your life will receive the transformation you need. Are you addicted to drugs and other mind-bending substances? Have you made effort to stop their use but could not stop? In the Name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, you are set free today! That habit holding you bound is broken now! I command every demon of addiction to release you now! You are liberated from their grip in Jesus' Name. Submit yourself to the environment of accountability in a church to strengthen your resolve never to go back.

Action Point

Reach out to drug addicts for Christ or lend a helping hand to ministries dedicated to their salvation and rehabilitation.

Open Heavens Devotional.

Thursday 17th September, 2015.

RECEIVE DIVINE INSTRUCTIONS.

Memorise

Receive, I pray thee, the law from his mouth, and lay up his words in thine heart.
- Job 22:22.

Read: Job 22:21-24.

21 Acquaint now thyself with him, and be at peace: thereby good shall come unto thee.

22 Receive, I pray thee, the law from his mouth, and lay up his words in thine heart.

23 If thou return to the Almighty, thou shalt be built up, thou shalt put away iniquity far from thy tabernacles.

24 Then shalt thou lay up gold as dust, and the gold of Ophir as the stones of the brooks.

Message

Due to the advent of sin and the activities of our adversary, we are faced with different challenges of life from day to day. The loss of assets and of persons dear to us is one of those challenges which our adversary, the devil, throws at us to destabilise us and ultimately make us lose our faith. But thank God that provision has been made in the package of salvation for the recovery of those things which we may have lost. Do you desire to recover what you have lost? Stop crying about it and encourage yourself in the Lord.
A time of loss is a time to seek the face of God in prayer. After David and his men suffered a major loss, he wept, but he didn't stop there. He encouraged himself in the Lord and sought God's face in prayer (1 Samuel 29:3-. Although God is a very present help in the time of trouble, it is only those who seek Him that will find Him (Proverbs 8:17). Based on his life experiences, the Psalmist confirms this in Psalm 34:10:

"The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger: but they that seek the LORD shall not want any good thing."

Have you lost any good thing? Seek God's face from today. Separate yourself to spend time with God alone. For the duration of that period, let God be your only focus. Pour out your heart to Him and meditate on His word. Praise and worship Him in spirit and in truth. Be quiet in His presence to hear what He has to say to you. Have you been seeking God's face after suffering a loss?

It is important to receive instructions from God after suffering a loss. He alone can fully tell how a loss occurred, where what was lost can be found and how best to recover it.

Unfortunately, people seldom follow God's instructions. Many people adhere to traffic rules, especially in developed countries, because they do not want sanctions. Similarly, most people follow the instructions in the user's manual of their gadgets; but when it comes to God's instructions, people take what appeals to them and discard the rest.
Beloved, receive all of God's instructions because they will lead you to the path of success, victory and joy. Instructions from God can come to you through a variety of ways. God can instruct you by directly speaking to you. He can also do so through His servants, especially through the word of knowledge in programmes such as our monthly Holy Ghost Service. God can send you instructions while you fellowship with other brethren in church. It could be during praise and worship, the choir ministration, prayer time or through the sermon. This is why it is important not to neglect fellowshipping with the brethren. How attentive are you to receive instructions from God while in His presence?

Prayer Point

Father, my heart is open to receive Your instructions that will turn my life around for good.

Open Heavens Devotional.

Friday 18th September, 2015.

POPULARITY CAN EBB.

Memorise

There is no wisdom nor understanding nor counsel against the LORD.
- Proverbs 21:30.

Read: Numbers 16:1-3.

1 Now Korah, the son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, and Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, and On, the son of Peleth, sons of Reuben, took men:

2 And they rose up before Moses, with certain of the children of Israel, two hundred and fifty princes of the assembly, famous in the congregation, men of renown:

3 And they gathered themselves together against Moses and against Aaron, and said unto them, Ye take too much upon you, seeing all the congregation are holy, every one of them, and the Lord is among them: wherefore then lift ye up yourselves above the congregation of the Lord?

Message

Every race has its rules. Crossing the finish line without following the rules will bring you no reward. Service to God in His vineyard also follows this principle. Some leaders who have gone ahead of us in the service of God messed up and ended up where they did not bargain for. This is why to avoid ending up like they did, we must learn from their experience. Korah, Dathan and Abiram were powerful leaders under Pastor Moses in the wilderness, but they erred and met with terrible judgment. That shall not be your portion in Jesus' Name! From the narrative about them in Numbers 16, we learn that we should focus on the assignment God has given to everyone of us. 1 Corinthians 7:20 makes it clear that everyone should mind their calling:

"Let every man abide in the same calling wherein he was called."

Adding to what God has given you might actually be a distraction to your original calling. If you want God to increase the scope of your assignment, or if you desire to be promoted in the things of the Kingdom, the right approach is to draw closer to the Holy Spirit, tell Him about your godly desires, satisfy God's laid down conditions for experiencing an uplift and wait to hear from the Lord. Using the methods of the flesh to gain ascendancy can only uplift the flesh. It takes the Spirit to lift you up in spiritual things. It is important to note that not everyone occupying a top ecclesiastical leadership position got there by the Spirit. Allow God to judge and reward them accordingly, but do not repeat their mistakes.

Moreover, another lesson from the rebellion of Korah, Dathan and Abiram is that using your growing popularity to work against the will of God can totally erode it. The 250 princes involved in this sad story were very popular in the wilderness, having been selected out of the general populace into the position of leadership. They were honoured and famous for as long as they played their roles within the scope of their divine assignment. But the moment they decided to partner with rebellious folks, honour gave way to shame, and their popularity turned to disfavour. Are you a leader in the church or in any enterprise? Praise God! Are you becoming very popular by virtue of your position and the opportunities you have access to as a leader? Praise God! However, be very careful! Never use your popularity against God's people or God's Word. If you do, it will surely backfire and you will not be proud of what you will get in return.

Action Point

The essence and power of any influence, resource, ability or endowment you use against God will be eroded, and such acts will backfire on you.

Open Heavens Devotional.

Saturday 19th September, 2015.

DESTINIES CAN CHANGE.

Memorise

Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it.
- Hebrews 4:1.

Read: Hebrews 3:15-19.

15 While it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation.

16 For some, when they had heard, did provoke: howbeit not all that came out of Egypt by Moses.

17 But with whom was he grieved forty years? was it not with them that had sinned, whose carcases fell in the wilderness?

18 And to whom sware he that they should not enter into his rest, but to them that believed not?

19 So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief.

Message

One of the privileges that being in Christ grants to you is that your present situation and your past life cannot hinder your God-given destiny. God has decided your destination even before you were born. Because you are a child of destiny, you will get to your destination in Jesus' Name. Nevertheless, you need to know that your destiny can be changed by God or by your attitude. God had to change His plan for eternal priestly succession, which He had earlier promised Eli and his household. Ponder on what God said to Eli in 1 Samuel 2:30:

"Wherefore the LORD God of Israel saith, I said indeed that thy house, and the house of thy father, should walk before me for ever: but now the LORD saith, Be it far from me; for them that honour me I will honour, and they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed."

May God never change His plan for your life, family and ministry in Jesus' Name!

Just as God can change His mind concerning a promise He made to an individual or family, He can also change His mind concerning a promise He made to a nation. In Numbers 14:26-32, God changed His mind concerning a generation of the children of Israel. God had brought them to the borders of the Promised Land, in readiness to completely fulfil the promise He had made to their fathers over 400 years before they were born. But amazingly, they refused to enter in. They did not believe that God could complete the process He had started.

God therefore changed His mind concerning them because of their unbelief (Hebrews 3:19). God told them that they would not enter into their destiny; rather, they would die in the wilderness. Their children, whom they thought would never enter the Promised Land, were the same ones God now said He would take into the land. May God never change His good plans concerning your nation in Jesus' Name! Unbelief is a terrible thing! Every time you fail to believe that God can do what He has promised to do, you tie God's hands and push Him to dump the promise He made to you. Unbelief is a slap on God's face. People who are not yet saved are referred to as unbelievers. It is understandable why they cannot believe God in their current state. However, the moment you receive Jesus, you are supposed to become a believer. God is not happy when believers who have experienced His ability over time, demonstrate unbelief in Him. In any way you are in unbelief, repent fast and pull out of it!

Prayer Point

Father, in any way my deeds have affected Your plan for my life, have mercy on me, and let Your original plan for my life be fulfilled.

Open Heavens Devotional.

Sunday 20th September, 2015.

THE BEGINNING OF BEGINNINGS.

Memorise

I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.
- Revelation 1:8.

Read: John 1:1-3.

15 While it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation.

16 For some, when they had heard, did provoke: howbeit not all that came out of Egypt by Moses.

17 But with whom was he grieved forty years? was it not with them that had sinned, whose carcases fell in the wilderness?

18 And to whom sware he that they should not enter into his rest, but to them that believed not?

19 So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief.

Message

The Almighty God is so great, mighty, powerful, glorious and all-knowing that He is unlimited, unlike mortal men. He has access to the past, present and future of every event. Jesus in Revelation 1:8 declared:

"I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty."

The word "Alpha" in this declaration refers to the beginning of beginnings. When everything began, it was in His presence. John 1:2 says the Word was in the beginning with God. He was there when everything was formed, and as a result, He can trace the historical links of everything to where it all started. He is still in control of the past, so He can interfere with it in order to give you a better tomorrow.

He knows exactly how things will turn out; hence it is best to always stick with His decisions. Before He gives counsel on any matter, He looks at the situation from the angles of the past, present and future, within the context of His purpose for your life. This is why those who factor His decisions into their lives are wise (Proverbs 3:5-7). Even if something goes wrong with such a decision down the line, because He is involved, and all the power and resources available in the universe belong to Him, He will tinker with things and get them to work in your favour (Romans 8:28). How often do you let Him into your decisions?

In the sphere of human existence, today is a product of yesterday. If you are a professional today, it is because you spent time being trained in school yesterday. If you have graduated from the university with a first-class honours degree, it is because you invested quality time into studying. If you are doing menial jobs as a cleaner or messenger, it is most likely because of your lack of access to an education or because you did not invest enough time in schooling. If you are suffering today, it is most likely as a result of what you did or did not do in the past. This is why you should be very careful with what you do today. Also, have tomorrow in view before taking that decision today. Thirdly, get connected with the only One who can go into your past to help your present. Do you know the Alpha and Omega? Are you connected with the Beginning of beginnings?

Prayer Point

Father, go into my past and correct any error working against me today, and make my tomorrow great.

Open Heavens Devotional.

Monday 21st September, 2015.

ENDURING HARDSHIP.

Memorise

Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.
- Matthew 5:11.

Read: Matthew 5:10-12.

10 Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

11 Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.

12 Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.

Message

The devil knows the glorious tomorrow that awaits every believer in Christ when they cross the finish line of the Christian race. This is why he fights tooth and nail to derail us from reaching our goal. He was a part of the heavenly bliss that will be our reward, but he lost his place due to evil thoughts (Isaiah 14:12-15). He does not want us to taste what he lost; hence he works through wiles to bring us down (Ephesians 6:11). One of the wiles that Satan uses in making believers in Christ abandon the Christian race is hardship. Some people have pulled out of heaven's marathon before getting to the finish line, due to their inability to endure hardship. Our Lord Jesus Christ describes such people in Mark 4:17:

"And have no root in themselves, and so endure but for a time: afterward, when affliction or persecution ariseth for the word's sake, immediately they are offended."

The expectations you had when you entered the Christian faith matter a lot. The Christian faith is not a bed of roses. The way of the cross that leads to Heaven is not a path laden with gold and easy to take. If anyone tells you that once you believe in Jesus, all your problems will disappear and everything will always go well, you are being deceived. The day you signed up as a believer in Christ, the die was cast and the battle line was drawn between you and the kingdom of darkness. From that day, you became a sworn enemy of the forces of darkness. They will surely attack you and try to make you feel miserable.

You are expected to endure hardness as a good soldier of Christ (2 Timothy 2:3). The inability to endure difficult and trying times makes one a bad soldier of the cross. Even when God blesses you, He still leaves room for you to be persecuted, tried and ridiculed. Your faith in Christ may be tested through lack, hunger, unanswered prayers, false accusations, ill health, and so on. Jesus in our Bible reading taught that if you can take persecution, being reviled by men and false accusation in good faith, you are blessed and on the path to Heaven. On the other hand, if you easily get offended by these, if nothing is done to correct your attitude, you may become derailed from the faith. Are you offended in Christ? Towards the end of his stay on earth, John the Baptist began to doubt if the same Person he had declared to be the Son of God was the true Messiah (Matthew 11:2-6). In His reply to John's questions, the Lord told him not to be offended in Him. It is a good thing to suffer persecution for your faith in Christ. Never get to the point of being offended in Him.

Prayer Point

Father, let patience have its perfect work in my life, so that I will be wanting in nothing.

Open Heavens Devotional.

Tuesday 22nd September, 2015.

WHEN PIGS ARE WISER.

Memorise

And always, night and day, he was in the mountains, and in the tombs, crying, and cutting himself with stones.
- Mark 5:5.

Read: Mark 5:1-13.

Message

It is great to experience deliverance from demons, but it is better to never be repossessed by them after being delivered. A better option than these is not to have being possessed by demons at all. If you have never been possessed by demons all your life, you do not know what God has done for you. These two things are common to all those who have been possessed before: they suffered great losses and went through hell. Take for instance the Gadarene demoniac in our Bible reading: what he would never do to himself in his right senses, he did while demons were inside him. He cut his body with sharp stones, bled and felt the pain, and yet he compulsively repeated this often. In other words, the demons in him told him to hurt his own body as if it was the body of an enemy, and he obeyed even though he felt the pain. The demons tried to use him to destroy himself. Do you know that even today, demonic spirits still compel their victims to destroy themselves? We should not be surprised of this, as Jesus in John 10:10a already revealed their mission to us:

"The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy:"

All over the world today, demons of addiction gradually lure people into taking degenerative substances such as cocaine, heroin, Indian hemp, cigarettes, tobacco powder (snuff), etc. After a while, such people discover that they are unable to break away from these substances. The aim of these demonic spirits of addiction is to destroy their bodies. In the same manner, these spirits get people into drinking alcohol, and before long, they become alcoholics. The operations of the demons of lust follow the same pattern. They get their victims into immorality, sodomy, lesbianism, and other sexual sins, so as to make them destroy themselves. 1 Corinthians 6:19 says:

"What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?"

The objective of these demons is to make their victims destroy their bodies to the extent that the Holy Spirit will not come near it, not to talk of entering in. Unfortunately, do you know that some people are happy to harbour demons because of certain benefits they derive from them; for example, practitioners of witchcraft? The pigs that were at the receiving end of the demons cast out of the Gadarene demoniac were more sensible than such people. They preferred to drown rather than to allow demons inhabit them. Are you as wise as these pigs? If you have any spirit other than the Holy Spirit inside you, you need help through deliverance.

Action Point

Ask God to deliver anyone under the manipulative influence of demons in your local church.

Open Heavens Devotional.

Wednesday 23rd September, 2015.

THE WAY OUT.

Memorise

Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give.
- Matthew 10:8.

Read: Matthew 10:5-8.

5 These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not:

6 But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.

7 And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand.

8 Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give.

Message

Our Lord Jesus Christ has many names and titles. The purpose of these names is to enlighten the eyes of our understanding to the reality of His person. One of such names is The Way. In John 14:6, the Lord Jesus revealed this truth about Himself to us:

"Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me."

What does the Lord mean when He says He is the Way? If you need to get to a location and you are at a loss on how to get there, the wise thing to do is to ask people at your current location the way out of where you are in order to get to where you wish to go. The Lord Jesus Christ is the Way out of the unpleasant situation you are in presently.
He is also the Way into the new location of your choice. The Bible reveals Jesus as the Way out of sickness (1 Peter 2:24). In Acts 9:32-35, Peter visited some believers living in Lydda and met Aeneas who had been bedridden for eight years. He simply introduced him to Jesus Christ, and Aeneas followed the Name of Jesus out of sickness into divine healing and health.

The Name of Jesus is also the Way out of death (Acts 9:40-41). Our Bible reading shows that the sick, the lepers and the dead can follow the pathway of Jesus out of their circumstances. Anyone who has an appointment with death can be delivered by following the Name of Jesus, because Jesus is the way out of any situation having to do with death. Some 276 sailors, soldiers and prisoners were lost at sea for fourteen days and faced sure death in the hands of a violent hurricane called Euroclydon (Act 27:12-44).
For fourteen days, their souls were overwhelmed with the fear of death and they could not eat anything. They all would have died but for the presence of Paul who bore the Name of Jesus amongst them. The Lord sent His angel to Paul to show them the way of escape from the clutches of death. The Lord showed them that their salvation depended on them remaining in their sinking ship which was at the mercy of the winds (Acts 27:31)! The pathway that goes through Jesus led them through the valley of the shadow of death, and not one soul among them was lost (Acts 27:44). Do you have an early appointment with death that agents of darkness have fixed for you? In the Name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, that appointment with death is cancelled! Has sickness drawn you so close to death? In the Name of Jesus, you shall not die but live! You shall recover in Jesus' Name.

Prayer Point

Father, quieten every storm that wants to deliver death to my life, family, business or ministry now, in Jesus' Name.

Open Heavens Devotional.

Thursday 24th September, 2015.

INSTRUCTION RESCUES.

Memorise

He sent his word, and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions.
- Psalm 107:20.

Read: Proverbs 19:20-21.

20 Hear counsel, and receive instruction, that thou mayest be wise in thy latter end.

21 There are many devices in a man's heart; nevertheless the counsel of the Lord, that shall stand.

Message

If you experience a loss at any point in life, know that it's a time to stay calm and not a time to lose heart. If you can wait to receive specific instructions from the Lord, it will expedite the recovery of your loss. The reason why many losses of God's children have not been recovered is because they have not found time to seek the face of God on the matter. As you seek God's face concerning those good things you have lost, the Lord will give you a word that will lead to their recovery.

Many years ago, while we were building the first big auditorium at the Redemption Camp, we needed a lot of wood. We paid the government board in charge of sawmills in Edo state, Nigeria, to have this wood supplied to us. A few weeks to our convention, this government board decided to shut down all sawmills in the state. While pacing up and down asking God what to do, the Lord asked me what I knew about the Kingdom of God. To me, this question was irrelevant and I wanted to say so, but I cautioned myself and began to say what I knew about the Kingdom of God. I said "You must be born again to enter into the Kingdom of God". He concurred. Then I said "The Kingdom of God is not meat and drink, but righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Ghost". He agreed. This continued until I exhausted all I could remember on the subject matter. Eventually, I said "Since the days of John the Baptist, the Kingdom of God suffereth violence, and the violent taketh it by force." Then He replied, "That is where we are going.
Do you want your wood? Give me a violent offering." That was on a Saturday; on Sunday, I shared this with my children and we gave a violent offering. On Monday, the governor of Edo state dissolved this government Board and reconstituted another one, which immediately reopened all sawmills. On Tuesday, someone who had no money to give brought his trailer for us to use as long as we wanted. On Wednesday, someone came to give us bags of nails. Several other people also brought materials for the building. Within two weeks, the auditorium was ready; all because I received an instruction from the Lord. The instruction that will lead to a full recovery of your losses shall be given to you this season. When you seek God's face and He tells you what to do, don't argue with Him; go ahead and obey the Lord and you will recover your losses. It is your recovery period this season!

Key Point

For every loss, there is a recovery strategy which can be found with the Great Restorer - Jesus Christ.

Open Heavens Devotional.

Friday 25th September, 2015.

BEWARE OF MANIPULATORS.

Memorise

A prudent man foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself: but the simple pass on, and are punished.
- Proverbs 22:3.

Read: Proverbs 22:1-5.

1 A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches, and loving favour rather than silver and gold.

2 The rich and poor meet together: the Lord is the maker of them all.

3 A prudent man foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself: but the simple pass on, and are punished.

4 By humility and the fear of the Lord are riches, and honour, and life.

5 Thorns and snares are in the way of the froward: he that doth keep his soul shall be far from them.

Message

When you are popular and celebrated on account of your position or service in the kingdom of God, beware and avoid every temptation to use what you have received against the will of God. If you are not careful, you may fall into a trap and become another example, like the 250 princes who were destroyed in Numbers 16. That shall not be your portion in Jesus' Name! However, you need to know that if you are in a position of power or you are very famous and highly respected by people, you will be a target of manipulators.
If you are not extremely careful, you will fall into traps you never thought could ensnare you. After Korah, Dathan and Abiram orchestrated an evil plan and they wanted the children of Israel to buy into it, who did they contact? They deliberately chose the most popular 250 princes in the assembly of God's people and carefully sold the idea to them (Numbers 16:2). Once that was done, convincing the people under these princes was a walk in the park.

Believe it or not, just as these princes were tempted, you too will be tempted. People who have goods and services for sale will come to you because they want to reach your members or those under your sphere of influence. Some of these may be beneficial to your people and some may not. Some people may even ask you to come and support a cause that is contrary to scriptures. Be very careful! Be watchful and prayerful. When they come to make such proposals, place them side-by-side with the word. Any proposition that violates the word of God must be rejected without fear or favour. Those borderline issues which are not out-rightly wrong or sinful should be presented to God, asking for His direction.
Never allow yourself to be used by manipulators! If you lead the people under you astray, not only will their blood be upon your head, you may lose your integrity, position, power and honour. Also, carefully watch out for sycophants who will sing your praise so high that you will not know when they begin to lead you astray. Sycophants are "loyal" to you for very wrong reasons - reasons they may never tell you. They will always want you to see what they do, because they do their service to impress the leader and not God. Ask God to weed off from you anyone who appears close to you but wants to mislead you.

Action Point

Pray that God will weed off sycophants and those with a wrong motive hanging around leaders in the Body of Christ, your family, place of work and the government.

Open Heavens Devotional.

Saturday 26th September, 2015.

CHILDREN ARE YOUR TOMORROW.

Memorise

Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.

- Proverbs 22:6.

Read: Genesis 18:17-19.

17 And the Lord said, Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do;

18 Seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him?

19 For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the Lord, to do justice and judgment; that the Lord may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him.

Message

The greatness of a person can be influenced by a father-figure - whether biological or spiritual. No wonder the Bible in Proverbs 17:6 says:

"Children's children are the crown of old men; and the glory of children are their fathers."

A child is expected to be a better version of his or her parents. Your child is supposed to be a new, improved you. Your child is your future, hence, losing your child amounts to losing your future, while gaining your child is gaining your future. You can lose your child not necessarily to death but to sin. An unsaved or backslidden child erodes the future of his parents. This is why you must invest in your children. They are your tomorrow. I cannot understand why a parent will be competing with his or her child. How can a father say that he does not want any of his children to surpass him? If your children cannot surpass you, then you have failed. That is why Jesus in John 14:12 says:

"Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father."

You must do everything legitimately possible to prepare your children to have a better tomorrow.

Some parents do not mind playing "Father Christmas" with other people's children, but they remain stingy and tight fisted with their own children. A man who was trained by his parents or relatives to secondary school level who now refuses to train his own children to at least that same level is a curse to his family. Some parents do not mind spending money to buy expensive clothes for weddings, funerals and other frivolous things, but when it comes to paying the school fees of their children, they will say they have no money. What are your priorities in life? Did your children beg you to bring them to this world? Why would you neglect them after bringing them to earth? Do you know that there are very many unbelievers who never had the opportunity of going to school, particularly women, who resolved in their heart to see that their children would be educated, and God made a way for them? Today, they have made graduates out of petty trading. How can it be said of you - a believer, created in the image of God and blessed with children of destiny, that you denied your children quality education? Far be it from you! Ensure you prepare your children for a better future. You cannot afford to disappoint God in this area!

Key Point

The greatest legacy you can give your children is first Jesus, followed by a good education up to university level. Others are extras.

Open Heavens Devotional.

Sunday 27th September, 2015.

FROM DEBTOR TO CREDITOR.

Memorise

For he shall deliver the needy when he crieth; the poor also, and him that hath no helper.
- Psalm 72:12.

Read: Psalm 72:10-14.

10 The kings of Tarshish and of the isles shall bring presents: the kings of Sheba and Seba shall offer gifts.

11 Yea, all kings shall fall down before him: all nations shall serve him.

12 For he shall deliver the needy when he crieth; the poor also, and him that hath no helper.

13 He shall spare the poor and needy, and shall save the souls of the needy.

14 He shall redeem their soul from deceit and violence: and precious shall their blood be in his sight.

Message

When Jesus went into a synagogue one day, He met a man with a withered hand. When a hand is withered, it means it has died and totally dried up. In spite of the withered state of this hand, that encounter with Jesus restored life to it (Mark 3:1-5). There are some people whose future has withered financially. In the Name of Jesus Christ, you will soon become a creditor to many. Our God is a very practical God. I am speaking from experience. Beyond reading about Him, I have seen Him in action so many times that I can confidently say my God can reverse the irreversible.

Let us consider the experience of one of my daughters. She lost her husband and had 17 mouths to feed in addition to a huge debt; the biggest of which was in London. During one of our Conventions, the Lord said there was someone there who was heavily indebted, and that He was going to give that person three financial breakthroughs: the first one was for God, the second was to be split 50-50 between God and that person, while the third would settle the persons problems permanently. On hearing this word, she received it. Within one week, she came with some big money she got, saying this was the first one. I argued with her and tried to refuse taking it, but she insisted. Eventually, we took the money but did not spend it. Not long after, the second one came and she brought 50% to God. It was easier for me to receive this than the first. Then came the third one: a bank in London that she owed so much wrote to say that they had checked their records and found out that she did not owe them, instead they were the ones owing her.
Could they really have made a mistake? The most likely thing that occurred was that God went into the records and changed her status from debtor to creditor. Are you in debt? If you can call on the Lord in faith and secure His intervention, He can go into the books and turn the records in your favour. Yes! It is possible for you to move from debtor to creditor! All records are in God's hands, because He is the Alpha and Omega. He is the First and Last of all alphabets, so He can cause every writing to work in your favour. Every negative thing written about you shall fail as the Alpha and Omega takes charge over them. These are His words to you in Colossians 2:14:

"Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;"

You shall experience the reality of this Word in your finances in Jesus' Name.

Prayer Point

Father, wipe out my debts and turn around my financial situation in Jesus' Name.

Open Heavens Devotional.

Monday 28th September, 2015.

RUN, DON'T REST.

Memorise

For here have we no continuing city, but we seek one to come.
- Hebrews 13:14.

Read: 1 Kings 13:7-14.

Message

In today's Bible reading, we have a very sad story of a young prophet sent by God to the city of Bethel with strict instructions. After he delivered the message, he took a different route homewards as instructed by God. But along the way, he felt danger had passed and so he decided to take a rest. While taking his rest, an old prophet came by, lied to him and convinced him to return with him. He obeyed this old prophet and eventually met his death. If only he had delayed his rest, the false prophet would have come looking for him without finding him. Just as it happened to this young prophet, resting too soon has terminated the Christian race of so many believers. In some races, we sometimes see a contestant that is running so fast, leaving other contestants far behind. For the contestant ahead, there is always the temptation to relax, reduce speed and to take the rest of the journey easy, due to a false sense of having won the race already. Many a contestant has yielded to such temptations and got the shock of a lifetime. You will do yourself a lot of good to know that on earth, while on our way to Heaven, we have no resting place. For this reason, Hebrews 4:9 says:

"There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God."

What the devil or your flesh is suggesting to you as a rest is actually meant to activate your spiritual death warrant. Our rest in Heaven is eternal, and this is partly to compensate us for the no-rest race we have to run on earth. If you want rest, wait until you get to Heaven.

Sometime ago, I visited Australia. While there, a brother shared a testimony that made me weep inside. This old man testified that some time ago, a particular man of God who was highly anointed came to Australia. People brought their dead and they were raised back to life. Within one week, there were ambulances bringing in dead people to the crusade. I could recall this particular man of God. He started very well and was mightily used of God, but along the line, he began to bring in some strange doctrines. He said all that was needed now was only faith; there was no more need for fasting, holiness, etc. He did not end up very well. Beloved, since you have started the race, focus on it and continue to run. Receive all the grace that you can muster from the Lord and continue running the race. Refuse any proposal to slow down or rest, as this is meant to terminate your race.

Prayer Point

Father, let me never encounter the rest that would terminate my race to Heaven, in Jesus' Name.

Open Heavens Devotional.

Tuesday 29th September, 2015.

ONLY HIS NAME.

Memorise

That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;
-Philippians 2:10.

Read: Philippians 2:9-11.

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.

Message

The desire and plan of God is for all His children to be deliverance ministers (Mark 16:17). He wants us to exercise His dominion on earth, so that if demons are obstructing the lives, destinies and progress of anybody, when they meet anyone of us, they would be freed. However, only very few believers are actively doing this. Any believer who wants to walk in the reality of the plan of God concerning casting out demons must have the knowledge of some basic truths. First and foremost, they must have an intimate knowledge of the Great Deliverer - the Lord Jesus Christ. The closer you move to Jesus and know Him, the more grace you will derive from Him to cast out devils, heal the sick, raise the dead, and more. (Daniel 11:32).

What are the things you need to know about Jesus? You need to know the power in His Name. Our Bible reading teaches that Jesus Christ has a Name to which everything and everyone must bow. Some ministers have fallen into error because they have gained so much popularity and have tasted the anointing of the Holy Ghost. Because they have been used of God several times to perform miracles, they are now close to casting out devils in their own names! We are told to command demons to go in the Name of Jesus and not by any other name. If you ever use your name, you will get into trouble with God and with demons. If you are now using your name to cast out demons, you are becoming another Jesus and preaching another gospel. Know that this act carries a curse (Galatians 1:9). Even Paul, with all his anointing and experiences of the supernatural, continued to cast out demons in the Name of Jesus Christ (Acts 16:16-18). A man attended a program one day and instead of being delivered, his problem was compounded.
He was loaded with demons, so much so that he could not stand, sit or walk: he just lay down. When he was brought to us, I commanded him to kneel for prayers, but he said he could not. I commanded him again, and he asked me, "In whose name?" I said "In the Name of Jesus." He answered, "Oh, that one is different", and he complied. After prayers, I said to him "Stand up and go home." But he replied that he could not stand. So I commanded him again to obey. He then asked "In whose name?" I replied "In the Name of Jesus." He said again, "That one is different", and he stood up. Then I commanded him to go home, take his bath and be normal again. Once again he asked "In whose name?" I said "In the Name of Jesus." He answered once more "That one is different", and he obeyed. Praise God for the power in the Name of Jesus!

Key Point

Some ministers are gradually moving the shine away from Jesus to themselves, thereby treading on very dangerous grounds. Be warned!

Open Heavens Devotional.

Wednesday 30th September, 2015.

WAY OUT OF EMBARRASSMENT.

Memorise

And I will bring the blind by a
way that they knew not; I will lead them in paths that they have not known: I will make darkness light before them, and crooked things straight. These things will I do unto them, and not forsake them.
- Isaiah 42:16.

Read: John 2:1-11.

Message

Jesus Christ declared to His disciples that He is
the Way, the Truth and the Life (John 14:6). As
the Way, He is the exit from that very evil
location you may find yourself. He is the Way
out of sickness and also the Way out of death. If you are facing any situation pertaining to death, He is the Way out. In Acts 9:36-42, Dorcas died and the widows mourned her because of her good works which had been a blessing to them. She was the visible hand of God that the widows could relate with. So when Peter arrived, they began to make a case for her to live. Do you know that when some believers die, almost everyone who knew them would prefer that they were left dead, because they made no meaningful impact? If you were called home to be with the Lord today, how many people would want you to be restored to life? Can your works speak for you like those of Dorcas? When Peter heard of her works, he commanded Dorcas to come back to life in the Name of Jesus. She lived to continue her ministry to the widows. You too can command the dead to rise in the Name of Jesus and life shall be restored back to them, if only you have faith in Jesus and you are a part of
Him.

Moreover, Jesus is the Way out of
embarrassment. In today's Bible reading, while a wedding celebration was going on in Cana of Galilee, the wine finished. How embarrassing! It was possible the guests they had were far more than what they had prepared for. Some of their guests who had not been served were seated and expecting to be served. If they were to arrange for more wine, it would have cost them a lot in time, money and logistics. While they bothered about what to do and confusion was beginning to set in, Mary got wind of what was going on and informed Jesus about it. Pre-
empting Him, she instructed the servants at that feast to wait on the Lord. At the nick of time, the Lord turned the water available into the wine they lacked. Everyone who took of that wine confessed that they had never taken a better wine in all their lives. The Lord not only saved the day, but also turned an embarrassing situation into a most special moment for all and sundry. Imagine the joy of the couple and that of their families! Are you facing any form of embarrassment? Take it to the Lord in prayer and have faith in His ability to intervene, and He will make a way for you.

Action Point

Intercede for every believer facing an
embarrassing situation around you, that they
will receive God's way out now.

Open Heavens Devotional.

Thursday 1st October, 2015.

HOLD THE FORT!

Memorise

Holding forth the word of life; that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither laboured in vain.
- Philippians 2:16.

Read: Philippians 2:12-16.

12 Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.

13 For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.

14 Do all things without murmurings and disputings:

15 That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world;

16 Holding forth the word of life; that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither laboured in vain.

Message

Without controversy, the salvation that Jesus Christ has brought to mankind is free and for anyone who will receive Him. The way to receive this salvation is revealed to us in Romans 10:9:

"That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved."

Have you confessed Jesus Christ as your Lord? Do you believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead? Have you asked that your sins might be washed away by His blood? If you have done these, congratulations, you have received the free gift of salvation. However, you need to know that the salvation you have received is the beginning of a process that will culminate in your living eternally with God in Heaven, with a transformed body which death and sin have no power over (1 Corinthians 15:50-56). This is the same type of body our Lord Jesus Christ resurrected with and has right now in glory (1 John 3:2). It is at the event where this transformation will take place, referred to as the rapture, that the ultimate experience of the salvation in Christ Jesus will be revealed and received by you. Apostle Paul speaks of this in Hebrews 9:28, while Apostle Peter further expounds on it in 1 Peter 1:5:

"Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time."

While awaiting the revelation of the ultimate experience of salvation, the devil, the world and the flesh will work to derail the salvation experience you have received by trying to lead you back to the sins you have been saved from. That is why Jesus in Matthew 24:13 says:

"But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved."

You therefore need to endure and not give in to them. You need to continue living in the reality of the salvation from sin which you have received by enforcing your victory over sin. If you return to your former sins, you will not partake of the ultimate salvation experience which shall be revealed and received at the appearing of Christ. Enforcing your victory over sin everyday involves a lot of work. It involves the use of God's word against temptations, the renewing of your mind, praying for grace and fasting to keep the cravings of your body under check. Apostle Paul refers to this work in Philippians 2:12. The Lord will sustain you as you work at it to the end in Jesus' Name.

Prayer Point

Father, grant me grace to keep at the work required to sustain my salvation in Jesus' Name.

Open Heavens Devotional.

Friday 2nd October, 2015.

STEALING FROM GOD.

Memorise

For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.
- 1 Corinthians 6:20.

Read: 1 Corinthians 6:18-20.

18 Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body.

19 What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?

20 For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.

Message

The Bible makes it clear that aside from stealing from men, it is also possible to steal from God. Malachi 3:8 says:

"Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings."

Your tithe is one tenth of your income, increase or profit. It belongs to God and should be set aside for God immediately after the provision comes. Not paying your tithes can introduce a curse from God into the blessings He has given you. If a man curses you, someone with a higher spiritual authority can break the curse. For example, if your pastor curses you, the general overseer with a higher spiritual authority can break it; but if God curses you, to whom will you run? It is important you pay back to God 10% of everything He gives to you. It is also important you do it the way He expects it to be done. Your tithe must be brought into God's storehouse, and God must be given a free hand to spend it as He directs. Some people believe that as children of God, they can use their tithes to rescue someone who is in need or in critical condition in the hospital. No! You don't have that right! If you spend your tithe like that, in God's record, you will still be a debtor.

In addition, you can also steal from God by denying Him access to, or using inappropriately, whatever part of you He has claimed ownership of. In today's memory verse, we see that God has claimed ownership of our body and our spirit. He therefore expects that anything we do with our body will be such that will bring glory to His Name. Doing otherwise is stealing from God. For example, overeating, or taking any substance that can destroy your body, makes your body unavailable to its Owner; this amounts to stealing from Him. Any time you engage your body in any sinful act, you are guilty of inappropriate use of God's property and therefore a thief. Also, God demands access to your spirit in the place of prayer and meditating on His word. If you deny Him this, you are stealing from Him because He has claimed ownership of your spirit. If at the time you should be fellowshipping with God in your spirit, you are busy watching television or engaging in any other type of activity that does not connect your spirit to God, you are stealing your spirit away from God. In what ways have you stolen from God? Repent and restitute today.

Prayer Point

Father, in whatever ways I have stolen from You, I ask that You forgive me. I repent of these and ask for grace to glorify You with my body and spirit at all times.

Open Heavens Devotional.

Saturday 3rd October, 2015.

HE STILL CREATES.

Memorise

Then went he down, and dipped himself seven times in Jordan, according to the saying of the man of God: and his flesh came again like unto the flesh of a little child, and he was clean.
- 2 Kings 5:14.

Read: 2 Kings 5:9-14.

Message

The power of God can be manifested through different categories of healing. A person who receives a dose of this power can experience a repair of any part of the body that is defective. Apart from the repair of body parts, the healing power of God can also be experienced as a creative miracle. One Bible character who experienced this was Naaman. He was not only healed of his leprosy, his skin which had been eaten up by this disease was replaced by that of a newborn baby (2 Kings 5:1-14). When healing is experienced as a repair, there will be some signs or evidence such as a scar, indicating that a repair has taken place; but whenever there is a creative miracle, there will be no sign that there was any damage in the first place. Many years ago, in a crusade we held at Yaba (Lagos), a man with a peculiar challenge was in attendance. He was born with one testicle. In an attempt to help him, his parents took him to a native doctor who succeeded in destroying the only testicle he had left. In spite of this challenge, he went ahead and got married; even though he knew there was no hope of ever having a child. That blessed day, during the message at the crusade ground, the Lord performed a creative miracle by giving him two brand new testicles. By the time he came to share his testimony, everyone could see the evidence of the creative miracle - his wife was pregnant!

Is your health situation so bad that it is beyond repair? Don't be worried. Have the doctors told you that they have reached their limits regarding your case? Thank God there is no limitation with Him. Where the best of man's knowledge and wisdom stops, God's knowledge starts. He has done it for others and He will do it for you. In Genesis 1:1, God created the heavens and the earth. Many people think God's creative work ended there. How wrong they are! God is still creating things today. In every part of your body needing a creative miracle, receive that miracle today! I command a new organ for that which is defective in your body! I decree new eyes and new sets of teeth! Do you need a new limb or a new brain? Receive it today in Jesus' Name. However, you need total faith in God to receive your creative miracle. The Lord will heal you without leaving any trace that you were sick before. It is well with your spirit, soul and body.

Prayer Point

Father, scan me from head to toe, and in any part of my body where I require a creative miracle, please perform it today.

Open Heavens Devotional.

Sunday 4th October, 2015.

ONLY A PRIVILEGE.

Memorise

The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, saith the LORD of hosts.
- Haggai 2:8.

Read: Esther 4:10-14.

10 Again Esther spake unto Hatach, and gave him commandment unto Mordecai;

11 All the king's servants, and the people of the king's provinces, do know, that whosoever, whether man or women, shall come unto the king into the inner court, who is not called, there is one law of his to put him to death, except such to whom the king shall hold out the golden sceptre, that he may live: but I have not been called to come in unto the king these thirty days.

12 And they told to Mordecai Esther's words.

13 Then Mordecai commanded to answer Esther, Think not with thyself that thou shalt escape in the king's house, more than all the Jews.

14 For if thou altogether holdest thy peace at this time, then shall there enlargement and deliverance arise to the Jews from another place; but thou and thy father's house shall be destroyed: and who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this?

Message

While the Lord Jesus Christ was on the surface of the earth, He plainly declared His intention to build His Church, irrespective of the opposition from the gates of hell (Matthew 16:18). The implication of this declaration is that even if you refuse to cooperate with God on His plans to build His kingdom, He will still definitely go ahead with those plans without you. Whether the Kingdom of God will be built or not is not a question that needs deliberation, it is a settled matter. If you choose to cooperate with God, He will use you; but if you refuse to be a part of His programme or vision, He will decide to do it without you. Psalm 24:1 says the earth and its fullness belongs to God, so He has all the raw materials He needs to do the job. Haggai 2:8 also says silver and gold belong to God. Since He has all the resources and all the money, who or what can stand in His way? It therefore follows that if God decides to use you in building His house or kingdom, He is only doing you a favour.

When the children of Israel faced extinction in the days of Queen Esther, her uncle, Mordecai, asked her to present the matter before her husband the king. She responded that she could not go to the king except he called for her. If she went uninvited, she could lose her life. What was Mordecai's response?

"For if thou altogether holdest thy peace at this time, then shall there enlargement and deliverance arise to the Jews from another place; but thou and thy father's house shall be destroyed: and who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this?"
Esther 4:14.

From this reply, it is obvious that God cannot be stranded. He always has someone waiting in the wings to do the assignment He has given you. If Esther had refused to take the risk, God would have used another person to do the job. Has God blessed you financially or materially and you are now dictating to Him how you will spend or not spend what He has given to you? Beware! Do not compel Him to use someone else! Mordecai told Esther that if she refused to do what God requested of her, she and her father's house would become casualties of war. Do you know that when you fail to build the kingdom of God after He has given you the means, you will face certain punishment? Be wise today!

Key Point

The best way to spend the financial resources God gives to you is to use them to meet God's needs.

Open Heavens Devotional.

Monday 5th October, 2015.

SCEPTRE OF HIS POWER.

Memorise

But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom.
- Hebrews 1:8.

Read: Esther 5:1-3.

1 Now it came to pass on the third day, that Esther put on her royal apparel, and stood in the inner court of the king's house, over against the king's house: and the king sat upon his royal throne in the royal house, over against the gate of the house.

2 And it was so, when the king saw Esther the queen standing in the court, that she obtained favour in his sight: and the king held out to Esther the golden sceptre that was in his hand. So Esther drew near, and touched the top of the sceptre.

3 Then said the king unto her, What wilt thou, queen Esther? and what is thy request? it shall be even given thee to the half of the kingdom.


Message

The dawning of your day of favour causes God to beckon to you. God beckons to you to bring you close to His power. In whatever way the Lord is beckoning to you, may you not be insensitive or blind to it in Jesus' Name! The sceptre that the king stretched towards Esther in today's Bible reading is a symbol of power. When Esther went near the king, she touched the sceptre. When you touch the sceptre of the King of kings, not only will your history be rewritten, the history of your entire race will begin to change at the same time. According to Esther 4:11, anyone who went before King Ahasuerus uninvited would be executed instantly, regardless of who they were, except he lifted his sceptre towards them. By lifting the sceptre towards Esther, the king changed death to life for her.

During a Holy Ghost Service held in the first auditorium at the Redemption Camp, the Lord said that there was someone in attendance whom the enemies had planned to kill, but because the fellow had come to the programme that night, death had been cancelled. Everybody said "Amen" without knowing who God was specifically referring to. In the congregation that night was a particular woman to whom some people were heavily indebted. When these debtors felt they could not pay, they decided to kidnap and kill her so that they could be free from their debt without repaying. After the programme, they kidnapped her, bound and threw her into the boot of their car and began to drive towards a forest in Badagry (a border town between Lagos and the Republic of Benin), where they planned to kill her. On their way, they came across a police checkpoint.
That was not supposed to be a problem, as they had already packaged cash bribes to be offered to all the policemen they came across along the way. But because God had already cancelled the plan of death for this woman, when they offered the money to the policeman, he turned it down and said he wanted to see what was in their boot. Then they increased the bribe offer, but the policeman declined and insisted on seeing what was in their boot. When they saw that their game was up, they fled. The police man opened the boot, saw the woman and released her. Just as He did for this woman, today, the Lord is stretching His sceptre of power towards you. Wherever the enemy had planned something against you, the Lord will make a way of escape for you. Praise the Lord!

Prayer Point

Father, stretch Your sceptre of power to me; let it touch me and thwart the plans of the enemy against the glorious destiny You have for me.

Open Heavens Devotional.

Tuesday 6th October, 2015.

WHEN HEAVEN COOPERATES WITH YOU.

Memorise

The LORD shall open unto thee his good treasure, the heaven to give the rain unto thy land in his season, and to bless all the work of thine hand: and thou shalt lend unto many nations, and thou shalt not borrow.
- Deuteronomy 28:12.

Read: Deuteronomy 28:11-12.

11 And the Lord shall make thee plenteous in goods, in the fruit of thy body, and in the fruit of thy cattle, and in the fruit of thy ground, in the land which the Lord sware unto thy fathers to give thee.

12 The Lord shall open unto thee his good treasure, the heaven to give the rain unto thy land in his season, and to bless all the work of thine hand: and thou shalt lend unto many nations, and thou shalt not borrow.

Message

Without a doubt, God wants all his children blessed (Psalm 35:27). Let us examine some of the markers by which you can recognise a life that is blessed. First of these is that when you are blessed, you will receive help from Heaven. For example, one of the marks of a blessed life in Deuteronomy 28:12 is that you will receive rain in due season to bless the work of your hands. If you ask a farmer about the relevance of rain to his crops, he will tell you that the greatest thing he prays for is that rain would fall at the right time after he has planted his seeds. If it falls too early, the crops could be destroyed, and if it fails to fall when it should, it will affect the crop yield badly. I pray that heaven will give rain to water your land this season in Jesus' Name.

Also, when a man is blessed, even the sun and the moon will cooperate with him. While Joshua was in a crucial battle and the sun was about to set, he lifted his eyes to heaven and said, "Sun, stay where you are; and moon, don't move until my assignment is done." The elements of the firmament had no choice but to obey him because he was blessed of God (Joshua 10:12-14). Similarly, after God decided to add 15 more years to Hezekiah's life, He told him to ask for a sign. Hezekiah asked that the sun should go back, and it was so (2 Kings 20:1-11). When you are blessed, even the heavenly bodies will cooperate with you.

Many years ago, when we started a Bible Study meeting at the University of Ibadan (South-West Nigeria), only five of us flagged it off, in the house of one of our elders - Professor Aboaba. The attendance later grew, and more professors kept joining until the living room could no longer accommodate us, and so we moved to the backyard. While we were taking our seats to begin the Bible Study meeting on a certain day, it began to rain. The professors wanted to take to their heels, but I lifted my hand and said, "Rain, you cannot fall now." On that day, it rained everywhere else in the University except for Professor Aboaba's residence. If there is one thing you need in life, it is to be blessed by God. When God blesses you, every element of heaven will favour you.

Prayer Point

Father, let every element You have created combine forces to give me a smooth ride into the destiny You have created for me.

Open Heavens Devotional.

Wednesday 7th October, 2015.

PRAYER AND JOY.

Memorise

Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full.
- John 16:24.

Read: John 16:23-24.

23 And in that day ye shall ask me nothing. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you.

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

Message

It's amazing to know that prayer causes one's voice to be heard in Heaven. Of the over six billion people on earth, do you know that God can single out your voice for His personal attention? Indeed, when you pray, God hears your voice, and through this, He gives solutions to long-standing problems in your life. Every stubborn problem in your life will receive a divine touch today. As you call upon the Lord, he will hear your cry in Jesus' Name.

From Zacharias' experience, we learn that prayer causes you to hear good news (Luke 1:5-17). When the angel of God met Zacharias in the temple while the congregation prayed, he broke the good news he had been expecting to hear for such a long time. This implies that within every unpleasant situation, there is some good news tucked inside that only prayer can unearth. This also connotes that there is a link between prayer and joy. When you pray, you will hear some good news about your situation or circumstance which will bring you joy. No wonder Jesus, in our Bible reading today, says we should ask until our joy is full. Have you been receiving negative news lately? You need to engage your prayer gear, and good news will locate you. Very soon, you shall hear the good news that will transform your life.

Moreover, prayer equally provides details about future events. No wonder the Bible in Jeremiah 33:3 says:

"Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not."

It was in the place of prayer that the birth of John was foretold. It was also in the midst of prayer that God's plan and purpose for John was disclosed. If you want God to reveal your tomorrow to you, pray. If you do not want to be kept in the dark concerning fundamental issues of your life, pray. Some believers go through very crucial periods of their life without effective prayers. No wonder they mishandle opportunities that come their way. As you pray today, ask God to give you insight into your future. This season, your prayers will work for you. Call on the Lord now while He may be found. It is well with you.

Key Point

God may be listening to multitudes of people, but He still hears your voice.

Open Heavens Devotional.

Thursday 7th October, 2015.

UNEXPECTED SPIRITUAL UPLIFT.

Memorise

The LORD shall send the rod of thy strength out of Zion: rule thou in the midst of thine enemies.
- Psalm 110:2.

Read: Mark 9:2-10.

Message

Just as God can suddenly pick up a beggar from the dunghill and set him on the throne, it is also possible for Him to give a sudden spiritual promotion. One blessed morning, Elisha woke up as the farmer's son who wandered around with Elijah as his servant; but by the evening of the same day, he had become a father to all the sons of the prophets, and had in his possession twice the anointing of his master (2 Kings 2:9-15). How awesome! Yes, it is possible to experience a sudden spiritual promotion. Several years ago, at the Ebute-Metta (Lagos) National Headquarters of our Church, we normally held our workers' meetings in the evening with pastors and workers sitting opposite each other. On this particular Sunday evening, just before we prayed, we decided to do some Bible study. I gave a passage of Scripture and asked everyone to give their interpretation. By the time all the pastors had given their interpretation of that scripture, they were not anywhere close to what I was expecting. Thereafter, I extended the opportunity to the workers. One young worker got up and gave an accurate interpretation of the subject matter, and I said, "Congratulations, pastor!" As soon as he heard me say that, he immediately grabbed his seat and moved over to sit with the pastors. In protest, the pastors said, "No, it was only a mistake". "What mistake?" asked the young man, "The General Overseer has called me a pastor; what else do I need?" Then I waded in saying "My son, ordination with the anointing oil will come later, but from now on, you are a pastor."

Here is another truth about promotion: whether you experience an ascent or descent in life depends on who is holding your hand. If God is holding your hand, He will take you from glory to glory, and your promotion will continually be accelerated. This was the secret of Joseph's unprecedented promotion. Genesis 49:24 says:

"But his bow abode in strength, and the arms of his hands were made strong by the hands of the mighty God of Jacob; (from thence is the shepherd, the stone of Israel"

But if you decide to go to the devil for promotion, you will surely end up in shame. You cannot hold God with one hand and at the same time hold the devil. If you do so, you can rest assured that you are on your own because God will simply step aside. How close are you to the Lord? He can still take you up suddenly in the area of the anointing and in other spiritual matters.

Key Point

Some sudden promotions are a result of a hidden period of conscientious, deliberate and sustained work of excellence.