We do hope you were blessed last year. We're trusting God for a better 2016. The closer you are to God, the better you become...how can you get close to God? - Meditating on the Word is one of the ways.
Be blessed as you devote your time to commune with Him more this year.
Welcome to 2016.

Open Heavens Devotional.

Friday 1st January, 2016.

DAY ONE MIRACLE.

Memorise
And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.
-Genesis 1:3.

Read: Genesis 1:1-5.
1 In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.
2 And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.
3 And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.
4 And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness.
5 And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day.

Message
We read in the Book of Genesis that God created the heaven and the earth in six days. Going by the account of the book of Genesis, we can assuredly say that the miracle of the universe was performed in six days! I pray for someone using this devotional; by the time you go through the first six days of this year, listening to God through this devotional, the everlasting miracles you need for the rest of your life shall be yours in Jesus’ name.

The first challenge that confronted the universe was darkness, and this was the first thing God dealt with. When an individual gropes in darkness, he is likely to fall into a ditch and thereby end his life. In other words, darkness is potentially harmful. This is why there must be light; and there will be light in your life today in Jesus’ name. God said in Genesis 1:3:
“Let there be light: and there was light”

One lesson we must learn here is that it was when God spoke His Word that the miracle of light occurred. Many people do not know what they lose when they refuse to allow the Word of God to penetrate their lives. Those outside the Church do not allow the Christian witnesses and evangelist going around their neighbourhood to preach them with the Word of God that will liberate them from darkness. Even, ‘modern day Christians’ close up their hearts to the Word of God. This is the reason why many have been in the Church for years and their lives have remained the same. They came sick and they have remained sick; they came poor and they have remained poor; they came bound and they have remained bound. What a waste of opportunity. My prayer for someone using this devotional is that the Word of God will penetrate your life forcefully today, and you will have the miracle of the light of the Living God.
When there is darkness, there will be no activity. God knows this, and that’s why He first tackled the problem of darkness which the devil brought upon the earth when he was cast down.
“Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhibiters of the earth and of the sea! For the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.”
Revelations 12:12
When there is darkness, stagnation is inevitable. Also, we should take note of this phrase in the above scripture; “because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.” It simply reveals that the devil works round-the-clock to get his victims before they discover the light of God in Christ. So, if you are reading this devotional and you have not come into the light of God in Jesus Christ, today is your day of salvation; now is the acceptable time (2nd Corinthians 6:2). I decree the miracle of the first day into your life in Jesus’ name.

Prayer Point:
Father, send Your Light into darkness of my life today in Jesus’ name.

Open Heavens Devotional.

Saturday 2nd January, 2016.

DAY TWO MIRACLE.

Memorise

And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters.
-Genesis 1:6.

Read: Genesis 1:6-8.

6 And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters.
7 And God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament: and it was so.
8 And God called the firmament Heaven. And the evening and the morning were the second day.

Message

The Word of God has created powers. According to our Bible reading of today, the power in the Word of God created space where there was none. It seemed like there was no space for further creation and the Almighty God wanted to create what now constitutes the present day universe. So the Word created the space (firmament) between the water and dry land for further creation. The Bible says:

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.” John 1:1-3.

There are lots of lessons we could learn from this creation story: The Word of God, when allowed to do His work, will always make a way where there is no way and a space where there seemed to be no space. When the Israelites got to the Red Sea and it seemed like they were stuck between the hosts of Pharaoh and the Sea, the Lord, through Moses, told them to move on. It takes faith in God to obey such a command, thank God they did and their obedience paid off, because the Word made an expressway from them to pass through:

“And the Lord said unto Moses, Wherefore criest thou unto me? Speak unto the children of Israel, that they go forward: But lift thou up thy rod, and stretch out thine hand over the sea, and divide it: and the children of Israel shall go on dry ground through the mist of the sea.”
Exodus 14:15-16.

Another lesson to be learnt here is; people of God should always talk to God about their challenges. Moses did this effectively and God spoke at every given time, he became a problem solver because he heard from God always. Also, when God speaks, a miracle is potentially performed, but its ultimate manifestation is dependent on human agents. We short-change ourselves of miracles when we fail to heed the Word of God. We should not forget our positions in the Creation Order. i.e. Image of God. It was Moses who divided the sea not God, though under the influence of God’s Word. The Word empowered the process by decree, “… and the children of Israel shall go on dry ground through the mist of the sea.” Settled! My prayer for you is that, as you obey the Word of God this year, you will begin to do the impossible in Jesus’ name.

Action Point:
Examine your life and see if there are ways in which you have not been taking heed to God’s Word.

Open Heavens Devotional.

Sunday 3rd January, 2016.

DAY THREE MIRACLE.

Memorise

And God called the dry land Earth; and the gathering together of the waters called he Seas: and God saw that it was good.
- Genesis 1:10.

Read: Genesis 1:9-13.
9 And God said, Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land appear: and it was so.
10 And God called the dry land Earth; and the gathering together of the waters called he Seas: and God saw that it was good.
11 And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth: and it was so.
12 And the earth brought forth grass, and herb yielding seed after his kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed was in itself, after his kind: and God saw that it was good.
13 And the evening and the morning were the third day.

Message
Many children of God do not know the depth of the common saying, “Order is the first thing in heaven”. They quote this statement awkwardly without giving it the necessary importance it requires. In the real sense of it, orderliness is the nature of divine administration. My prayer for someone using this devotional is that if your life is disorganized, it shall be divinely fixed in Jesus’ name.

Our God is the God of order; He ordered the course of the universe by His Word. This is the reason why we must give the Word of God pre-eminence in our lives. The Lord said to Jeremiah; “…. I will hasten my word to perform it.” (Jeremiah 1:12). The Almighty God does not take His own Word with levity like some of us do. Bible teachings come in form of doctrines and living by them is inevitable if we are to live orderly. Jesus Christ said in John 7:17:
Disobedience to God’s order brings chaos and unimaginable calamities as the story of Adam and Eve’s fall reveals (Genesis 2:16-17, Genesis 3:9-19). I encourage the user of this devotional to begin to place a high premium on the Word of God, even as God Himself does. In the second pastoral epistle of Paul to Timothy we read:

“All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.” 2 Timothy 3:16-17.

On the third day, God set in order the course of the universe by His Word and things began to work, even till this day; the seas in their places, the dry land, a variety of vegetation and fruit bearing plants.

Our God is the God of both creation and provision: He creates to provide. This means lack was not originally planned to characterize the life of man. I pray that everything that you need shall be orderly provided for your pleasure this season in Jesus’ name. However, pay close attention to the Words of the Great Provider.

Prayer Point
Father, please set my life in order, and don’t allow me to do things against Your will.

Open Heavens Devotional.

Monday 4th January, 2016.

DAY FOUR MIRACLE.

Memorise

And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: he made the stars also.
- Genesis 1:16.

Read: Genesis 1:14-19 (KJV).

Bible In One Year:
Numbers 22:22-24:25; Psalms 146.

Message
Our God is a God of distinction; He is not an author of confusion. A man chooses to be in confusion when he does not do the right thing as ordered by God. When God creates, He creates with precision and purpose. He created light for a purpose and darkness for another purpose. God commanded:
"And let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years:" - Genesis 1:14.

Today, the philosophy of relativism is giving the Christian faith deadly blows, and believers, particularly custodians of the Christian faith (the ministers), are doing almost nothing about it. The miracle of the fourth day saw to it that there would be no confusion on the earth. When God wanted to create man for example, the Bible says:
"So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them." - Genesis 1:27.

It is amazing that some theologians and Bible scholars these days say that some men are trapped in women's bodies and vice versa, hence their craving for same sexual relationship! They put the blame of homosexuality on God by implication. Please let them know that God does not make mistakes, unless their God is different from the Christian God. The Christian God is a perfect God of distinction. He created the day for work and the night for rest. If by any reason we do not rest in one night, the following day should be compensate for that loss of rest. Failure to observe this produces stress, sickness and ultimately death. Little wonder the life expectancy in the last fifty years has been in decline. The achievements of forty years is realised is fewer than thirty with a price of dying early. The God of distinction in His Word commanded:
"Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty." - 2 Corinthians 6:17-18.

The Implication of this scripture is that the church must begin to see life the way God sees it. We have mixed many profane things with sacred ones. We have been engulfed with the idea of relativism. This is not the mind of God. As a believer, how far have you been carried away by the present age? We should not be deceived that the God of distinction has lowered His standard. He has not.

Action Point
Look into your life and see where you have compromised the expected distinctive life you ought to live as a Christian. Repent and come on board the train of holiness again.

Open Heavens Devotional.

Tuesday 5th January, 2016.

DAY FIVE MIRACLE.

Memorise

And God blessed them, saying, Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let fowl multiply in the earth.
- Genesis 1:22.

Read: Genesis 1:20-23.
20 And God said, Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature that hath life, and fowl that may fly above the earth in the open firmament of heaven.
21 And God created great whales, and every living creature that moveth, which the waters brought forth abundantly, after their kind, and every winged fowl after his kind: and God saw that it was good.
22 And God blessed them, saying, Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let fowl multiply in the earth.
23 And the evening and the morning were the fifth day.

Message

Our God is not just the God of creation; he is also a God of abundance. When God creates, He does not create sparingly. This is why the provision He made in the universe has not been exhausted.

“And God said, Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature that hath life, and fowl that may fly above the earth in the open firmament of heaven.”
Genesis 1:20.

The Almighty created moving creatures because He Himself is dynamic. In other words, stagnancy is ungodly; it is evil. I pray for someone using this devotional; an end has come to your stagnation today in Jesus’ name. If lower creatures were created to move about, human beings, especially children of God, must not suffer stagnation. Our God is also a God of variety and abundance. He created both great and small in different shapes and colours. This knowledge must have informed Paul the apostle to assuredly tell the Philippians that the Almighty God would supply their needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:19).
Another lesson we can learn from today’s Bible reading is that God blessed His handwork to be fruitful and to multiply. Therefore, we see how foolish anyone would be if he or she agrees with the devil that God hates him or her. Our God is interested in the prosperity of His creation! The Psalmist understood this and wrote:

“… Let the Lord be magnified, which hath pleasure in the prosperity of his servant.” (Psalms 35:27).

Nobody cares more about us than God. His care, mercy and love are incomparable. Jesus said:

“Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.”
John 15:13.

The Bible also says: “He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?” (Romans 8:32). This is why Jesus said in the gospel according to Luke:

“And seek not ye what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink, neither be ye of doubtful mind. For all these things do the nations of the world seek after: and your Father knoweth that ye have need of these things. But rather seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you”
Luke 12:29-31.

The God of abundance will meet all your needs this season in Jesus’ name.

Prayer Point

Father, meet me at the point of my needs today according to your riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

Open Heavens Devotional.

Wednesday 6th January, 2016.

DAY SIX MIRACLE.

Memorise

So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.
- Genesis 1:27.

Read: Gen. 1:24-31.

Message

Man is the major miracle of the sixth day of creation. On this day, God decided to create of all His creations - man. This was in order to make man the overseer of His created order. God is the most perfect creator and Administrator of both animated and inanimate creation. However, as the perfect Adminstrator who knew the magnitude of the universe He has created, He decided to make a "small" god ( a similitude of Himself ) to rule the earth on His behalf (Psalms 82:1-6, John 10:34). To be called "gods" is marvellous; it is indeed a miracle to make a "god" out of the dust of the earth.

"And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth." Genesis 1:26.

God created man in His own image, blessed man and inaugurated the dominion of man over all creations. However, this was not without clear-cut instructions on how man should exercise his dominion. This, of course, is where the first couple missed it when they craved for unlimited dominion ( Genesis 3:5-6). It is unfortunate that the 21st century man is guiltier of this than any other generation before them. It is even more unfortunate that the 21st century church is guiltier of exercising unlimited freedom, thinking that Jesus Christ saved us into lawlessness and unguided freedom. This is the reason why human beings must live up to God's expectation as gods to other creation. Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ asked rhetorically:

"WHAT shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?" Romans 6:1-2.

We must jealously guard our position in God's creation and redemption. Our first parents lost it; we found it in Christ, so we must be careful not to take the grace of salvation for granted anymore. The Devine assessment of the entire six day effort is:

"And God saw everything that he has made, and, behold, it was very good..." Every perfect thing that has gone bad in your life will be restored today in Jesus' name.

Action Point

Find out those things that God declared good in your life that have gone bad. Pray that God who redeemed you will restore those good things today in Jesus ' name.

Open Heavens Devotional.

Thursday 7th January, 2016.

DAY SEVEN BLESSING.

Memorise
And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made. Genesis 2:3.

Read: Genesis 2:1-3.
1 Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them.
2 And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made.
3 And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made.

Bible In One Year: Numbers 30-31, Psalms 149-150.

Message
Rest is the divine blessing which God bestowed upon His creation, particularly man. Even the land He gave to man to inhabit must enjoy sabbatical rest (Leviticus 25:2-4).
Many people do not know that rest is a divine benevolence which God Himself demonstrated as vital to good life and longevity. It is also obligatory for us to observe sabbatical rest.

“Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: But the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day, and hallowed it.” Exodus 20:8-11.

Some children of God are not benefiting from this sabbatical ordinance because they are obsessed with the goal they have set for themselves. While it is good to set goals for yourself because the Bible in Proverbs 10:4 says; “He becometh poor that dealeth with a slack hand: but the hand of the diligent maketh rich”, at the same time, you must not set the goal that makes you a sabbatical law breaker. You must take time to rest as at when due.
Another reason God would want us to observe our sabbatical rest is that we may find time to enjoy the fruit of our labour. God desires that man should enjoy the labour of his hand. Our benevolent God sees it as evil when a man labours and dies from lack of rest and someone else enjoys the fruit of his labour. Solomon said:

“There is nothing better for a man, than that he should eat and drink, and that he should make his soul enjoy good in his labour This also I saw, that it was from the hand of God" Ecclesiastes 2:24.

I pray that you will not labour and miss out on the fruit of your labour in Jesus’ name. This prayer can only be answered if you respect the sabbatical law and always find a day to rest and commune with your God who gives you power to make wealth.

Action Point
Choose a day of the week when you rest from all your labour.

Open Heavens Devotional.

Friday 8th January, 2016.

DRESS IT AND KEEP IT.

Memorise

And the Lord God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it.
- Genesis 2:15.

Read: Deuteronomy 18:9-13.

Message

The almighty God is the most efficient conservationist. With Him, there is no wastage or corruption unlike many so-called children of God. Right from Genesis, we read about how God commanded Adam to make sure the beautiful garden did not suffer decay or any pollution. There are many ways in which one can preserve or pollute a God-given gift. The ‘land’ can be polluted by sin of all sorts particularly idolatry and/or witchcraft. In the text of today, we are confronted with the seriousness God attaches to the preservation of His creation.

“When thou art come into the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee, thou shalt not learn to do after the abominations of those nations. There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or an enchanger, or a witch.” Deuteronomy 18:9-10.

According to Exodus 20:3, idolatry is the most grievous sin against God. Adam automatically chose another god for himself when he decided to obey the devil rather than God. This is what many people don’t know; they think until they put an image on the ground and they begin to bow to it, they have not committed idolatry. It is obvious that there are idolaters in the Church; they always attend Church programmes but they never do what God wants them to do. The Bible says:

“And they come unto thee as the people cometh, and they sit before thee as my people, and they hear thy words, but they will not do them: for with their mouth they shew much love, but their heart goeth after their covetousness.” Ezekiel 33:31.

By disobeying the Word of God, people pollute the land and bring eternal curses upon themselves and generations after them. This was exactly what the first man did and God cursed the land for his sake (Genesis 3:17). To keep the land which the Lord has given us to inhabit, we must obey Him and live according to His Word. When we do this, our land will be free from evil and it will yield great increase for our pleasure (Deuteronomy 28). I encourage you reading this devotional to give your life to Jesus Christ today and begin to live according to His Word from now on. The seemingly barren or polluted land upon which you are living will turn out to be fruitful and blessed.

Action Point

Think about how you have lived your life in the past; see if you have polluted the land in anyway, repent and call on God for forgiveness so that God’s time of refreshing will come upon your life.

Open Heavens Devotional.

Saturday 9th January, 2016.

THE SECRET OF DIVINE BLESSINGS.

Memorise

I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.

Read: Deuteronomy 7:12-18.

Message

When God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness”, little could an uninformed person know that this goes with a lot of responsibilities. For instance, by this divine decision, man is made responsible for his actions and inactions because he is a god. This is the reason why man, consciously or unconsciously takes his life in his hands and works out his own well being; even to a fault, and Jesus Christ warned us against this extremism.
“Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? Or, What shall we drink? Or, wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” Matthew 6:31-33.

The scripture above reveals the secret of divine blessings. Although man is a responsible carrier of God’s image, however, he is dependent on the God whose image he is carrying. At the creation of man, when man lived in accordance with God’s instruction, he lived in all-round abundance, because God bestowed His blessing upon him and his wife. With little effort, man got great harvest. Therefore, Man must live according to the dictates of God to enjoy divine blessings. Jesus Christ, the incarnate of the Almighty God pointed this out in our memory verse of today.

For us to be divinely blessed, we must make Jesus Christ our Lord; we must be born again; that is, we must admit what the scripture says in Romans 3:23,

“For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” and quickly do something about it. What we must do is to repent according to the admonition of Peter:
“Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord.” Acts 3:19.

It is high time all men, particularly the children of God, understood the secret of divine blessings; that is abiding in the Son of the Living God, the True Vine. Let us stop being anxious of what we want to become. The Bible says:
“For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich.” 2 Corinthians 8:9.
With His benevolent act which was climaxed at the Cross, we are abundantly blessed without any addition of sorrow (Proverbs 10:22).

Prayer Point
Father, please open my eyes to see the secret of divine blessings and let me align myself with it.

Open Heavens Devotional.

Sunday 10th January, 2016.

THE POWER OF THE MISSIONARY MANDATE.

Memorise
But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.
-Acts 1:8

Read: Mark 16:15-18.
15 And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.
16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.
17 And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;
18 They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.

Message
The power of the missionary mandate has been trivialized in many quarters of the church. We need to constantly remind ourselves of the inevitability of this qualification. It is amazing that the letters of the New Testament have been reduced to mere words of counsel and not the law. We are so scared of the phenomenon called the “law” that we try to avoid mentioning it, not to talk of enforcing it. The “freedom gospel” that the devil preached to our first parents has become the order of the day in the Church. The effect is our not paying close attention to the inescapable instructions given to us by Jesus Christ who is Himself, Grace Personified.
“And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge… wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do those things, ye shall never fall:” -2 Peter 1:5,10.
When our Lord Jesus Christ was going to be with His father, He gave us a mandate to reach the world with His gospel. However, He was not presumptuous and we should not be too. We cannot afford to jump the gun. He said; “wait for the promise of the Father …” (Acts 1:4). Pursuing missionary mandate without the power of the Holy Spirit is suicidal. This is the reason why we have casualties among the modern day missionaries because some of them are not spiritually equipped. They have zeal without knowledge; the type Uzzah had when the Ark of Covenant was in transit.
“And when they came to Nachon’s threshing floor, Uzzah put forth his hand to the ark of God, and took hold of it; for the oxen shook it. And the anger of the Lord was kindled against Uzzah; and God smote him there for his error; and there he died by the ark of God.” -2 Samuel 6:6-7.
Presumptuous sin killed Uzzah. This is the reason David prayed that God should deliver him from presumptuous sin (Psalms 19:13); the type that destroyed King Saul when he performed the sacrifice before the arrival of the designated priest, Samuel (1 Samuel 13:9). We need to be endued in the Holy Spirit before we can be effective missionaries. The irony of this is that the missionary mandate must be kept by genuine children of God. So, this fact leaves us without the option of whether or not to be baptized in the Holy Spirit. I pray that as many as are thirsty for the baptism of the Holy Spirit will be satisfied with it today in Jesus’ name.

Action Point
Ensure you rid yourself of all impurities that may hinder Him from coming into your life today. The Holy Spirit is willing to baptize you if you are willing.

Open Heavens Devotional.

Monday 11th January, 2016.

GENUINE PRAISE AND WORSHIP: A PATH TO VICTORY.

Memorise
And when they began to sing and to praise, the Lord set ambushments against the children of Ammon, Moah, and mount Seir, which were come against Judah; and they were smitten.
-2 Chronicles 20:22.

Read: 2 Chronicles 20:21-23.
21 And when he had consulted with the people, he appointed singers unto the Lord, and that should praise the beauty of holiness, as they went out before the army, and to say, Praise the Lord; for his mercy endureth for ever.
22 And when they began to sing and to praise, the Lord set ambushments against the children of Ammon, Moab, and mount Seir, which were come against Judah; and they were smitten.
23 For the children of Ammon and Moab stood up against the inhabitants of mount Seir, utterly to slay and destroy them: and when they had made an end of the inhabitants of Seir, every one helped to destroy another.

Message
The issue of praise and worship cannot be over-emphasised. As a matter of fact, the primary reason God created man was that man should praise and worship Him.

“The four and twenty elders fall down before him that sat on the throne, and worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying, Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.” -Revelation 4:10-11.

Despite the fact that we are created for the purpose of praising and worshipping God, the Lord still provides great benefits for us as we go about doing what we must do to fulfil the purpose of our creation. One of these benefits is the victory that God gives us when we sing His praises, as is recorded in our Bible reading for today. When Judah began to sing the praise of God, the Lord arose and fought on their behalf. We have read this passage so often that we seem to have lost both its significance and implication. Ordinarily, the people of Judah would have found it difficult to do what their king asked them to do considering the impending doom of war. How many of us can sing the praises of God in the presence of danger or attack? At such times, instead of singing the praises of God, we begin to query God, as if our righteousness is good enough to make us immune to the attacks of both spiritual and physical enemies. It is easier read than practised, but only its practice can bring us blessings, not our reading about it.
Another thing we must learn in today’s reading is that the Bible says, “he appointed singers unto the Lord, and that should praise the beauty of holiness….”It is not all praise and worship that is genuine and acceptable unto the Lord; some are unto the flesh. I have often told my children in the faith that they should be mindful of the type of songs they sing in the name of praise or worship. Some of these songs are from the pit of hell, coated in Christian lyrics. Any song, dance, drama or general work of art that promotes promiscuity is abominable in the sight of God and will do the opposite of genuine songs of praise and worship. Our songs should come from a pure heart; its presentation should also be void of pride and ulterior motive. It is unfortunate that some so-called songs of praise and worship are the importation of songs from idol worship. They are melodious, so we embrace them without knowing the implication. From today, let us allow the Holy Spirit to give us songs that the Trinity will appreciate, and let us sing to the beauty of God’s holiness for irreversible victory over our adversaries.

Action Point
Pray that the Holy Spirit should give you angelic songs from God’s throne so that when you sing here on earth, they will join you to sing “holy, holy, holy” unto the Captain of life.

Open Heavens Devotional & Prayer Points For The 50days Fasting.

Tuesday 12th January, 2016.

GENUINE PRAISE AND WORSHIP: A PATH TO PROSPERITY.

Memorise
The blessing of the Lord, it maketh rich, and he addeth no sorrow with it.
-Proverbs 10:22.

Read: 2 Chronicles 20:24-26.

Message
Yesterday, we considered genuine praise and worship as a path to victory, today we want to consider prosperity; the genuine praise and worship.

“And when Jehoshaphat and his people came to take away the spoil of them, they found among them in abundance both riches with the dead bodies, and precious jewels, which they stripped off for themselves, more than they could carry away: and they were three days in gathering of the spoil, it was so much.” 2 Chronicles 20:25.

When God tells you that He would prosper you, don’t insult Him by asking “how?” This is because while you do not have one way that can lead you to your prosperity, God has uncountable ways. All you need is to believe and obey Him (John 11:40). Is it not amazing, if not unusual, for the soldiers in our bible reading to go to battle with precious jewels and costly outfits as if they were going for wedding ceremonies? The reason for this was that God had determined to bless His people, because He knew from the onset that His people would praise and bless the beauty of His holiness, so He prepared their compensation beforehand! Another lesson we must learn from this story is that our praise and worship must be Holy Spirit inspired; it must not be offered from our carnal man. The way we sometimes sing God’s praise confirms that these songs are carnally motivated; not seasoned with grace. It would have been acceptable if we were singing it to praise men like secular musicians do. Unfortunately, the One we claim to be praising is a Spirit; He knows everything.

“But the hour cometh and now is when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.” John 4:23-24.

Moreover, the Almighty demands our praise and worship of Him. He is also prepared to bless our obedience to this divine mandate. In other words, if we deny Him the praise that He is worthy of, He will also deny us the prosperity that we can so easily get.

I once visited a relation with the aim of blessing him with a certain amount of money, but changed my mind because he failed to give me a modest hospitality according to our custom. When I left his house, I used about 5% of the money I should have given him to buy the soft drink he should have entertained me with. He lost 100% because he did not host me with 5%. Let us cultivate the habit of giving God abundant praise and worship and He will bless us with abundant prosperity.

Action Point
Throughout today, worship God in truth, in spirit and in holiness as you go about your daily business.
___________________________
Day 2.
CONSECRATION - Joel 2:15-17, Romans 12:1-2.

¤Father, consecrate me spirit, soul and body as a living sacrifice in Jesus name.
¤Father,I receive supernatural purging and cleansing from every dead works by the blood of Jesus.
¤Father, pour upon individual and your church spirit of thanksgiving. Psalm 100
¤Father, sanctify and purify me from the filthiness of the flesh and of the spirit. Malachi 3:3, Matthew 3:12.

Open Heavens Devotional & Prayer Points For The 50days Fasting.

Wednesday 13th January, 2016.

BEING WITH JESUS.

Memorise:
Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. Matthew 11:29.

Read: Acts 4:13-14.
13 Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus.
14 And beholding the man which was healed standing with them, they could say nothing against it.

Message
It is one thing to answer the call of Jesus Christ, and it is another thing to stay put with Him after we answer the call. There are casual followers of Jesus Christ and there are die-hard followers as well. The casual followers of Jesus Christ have their reasons for casually following Him. One of it may be because they cannot live by the ideals that Jesus teaches in His gospel. Being with Jesus means living by His teachings, He once lamented.

“And why call ye me, Lord Lord, and do not the things which I say?” Luke 6:46.

Many call Jesus “Lord” with their mouths but indeed, they do not regard Him as the Lord of their lives. This is why, for the avoidance of doubt, Jesus said:

“….If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed: And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” John 8:31-32.

Two things are clear from our Bible reading for today; the first is, if you have been with Jesus indeed, boldness will be your trademark. The Bible says:

“For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.” Romans 8:15.

When a so-called child of God is living in fear, we must check out whether indeed he has been with Jesus. Secondly; someone who has been with Jesus lives a daily miraculous life, that is another trademark of genuine followers of Jesus Christ. The Bible says:

“And beholding the man which was healed standing with them, they could say nothing against it.”Acts 4:14.

I have taught my children in the School of Disciples that we can do more than Jesus did according to His promise. When we believe this, we stop being caricatures of His Ambassadors on earth. Then, we shall bring the whole world to their knees, when we confidently tell them that Jesus is Lord. We are indeed the light and salt of the world if we chose to be with Jesus, living according to His ideals. Two great blessings of being with Jesus are; we shall learn of Him and when we learn of Him, we shall find rest for our souls. Come to Jesus today and decide to stay put. Don’t be a casual or temporary follower of Jesus Christ.

Action Point:
Make up your mind to live the rest of your life for and with Jesus today and you will be a blessed person.
________________________________
Day 3.
FRESH OUTPOURING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT AND REVIVAL - Joel 2:28, Acts 2:1-2.

»Father, pour out Your Spirit upon RCCG and the body of Christ.
»Father, refresh every thirsty soul.
»Father, give me new depths of intimacy with the person of the Holy Spirit.
»Father, anoint us as a church with fresh oil as we step into the New Year.
»Father, let there be a sudden visitation of the Holy Spirit that will cause revival to break forth in RCCG.

Thanks for the good job. God bless you. Your prayers are answered already.

[/color][color=#000099]Thanks for the good job. God bless you. Your prayers are answered already. Please keep it up.

Racade:

Thanks for the good job. God bless you. Your prayers are answered already.

Bless you too.

Open Heavens Devotional & Prayer Points For The 50days Fasting.

Thursday 14th January, 2016.

THAT I MAY KNOW HIM.

Memorise
If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself.
-John 7:17.

Read: Philippians 4:7-10.
7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.
9 Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.
10 But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly, that now at the last your care of me hath flourished again; wherein ye were also careful, but ye lacked opportunity.

Message
Being with Jesus brings about knowing Him as we ought to. Many blessings await the one who knows Jesus correctly. Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ prayed that he might know Him, because he knew the attendant blessings of knowing the Author of life. The question is: what does it entail to know Jesus Christ? It takes staying with Him, learning from Him, doing His bidding and loving the brethren. He said:
“Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me….” Matthew 11:28-29.
There are lots of things we must learn from Jesus if we really want to know Him as He is. For example, in the three great temptations that confronted Him in the wilderness, He proved true and faithful to His Father in heaven. He did not misuse His power, authority and the privilege of being the Son of the God with whom there is no impossibility. So, He refused to turn stone to bread. He also turned down the offer of being the richest man on earth when the condition was to worship the devil. Jesus Christ was then confronted with the pride of life when He was prodded by the devil to engage in a show of power, but He refused to jump from the pinnacle of the temple.

It is interesting to note that these were the three main temptations that rocked the human race in the Garden of Eden, and our first parents fell headlong into them. The lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life (Genesis 3:6; 1John 2:16). As we know Jesus Christ, we learn to do His bidding and when we do His bidding, we are blessed. Our lack of the knowledge of Him makes us alien to God and we short-change ourselves by this. The Bible says:
“And such as do wickedly, against the covenant shall he corrupt by flatteries: but the people that do know their God shall be strong, and do exploits.”
Daniel 11:32.
The apostles of old knew the impotence of knowing the true God and one of them said:”…. Shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us.” (John 14:. Brethren, we must know Jesus through and through.

Action Point
Using Philippians 3:10, pray earnestly to God that He my reveal Himself to you.
________________________________
Day 4.
PRAYERS FOR OUR GENERAL OVERSEER AND MOTHER-IN-ISRAEL.
¤Father, empower and anoint Daddy and Mummy G.O. afresh on a daily basis.
¤Father, by your mercy silence every evil plan against the ministry of Daddy G. O. and Mummy G.O. Psalm. 143:12.
¤Father, fortify the strength of Daddy and Mummy G. O. Isaiah 41:13-14.
¤Father, divinely protect Daddy G. O.’s and family Psalm 125:2.
¤Father, contend with those contending with Daddy G.O. and his family. Isaiah 49:24-26.
¤Father, give Daddy G.O. and family divine health. Psalm 128:3.
¤Father, let your special hand of favour rest on Daddy and Mummy G.O. for the rest of their lives. Psalm 27:1.
¤Father, help Daddy and Mummy G.O. to finish well and finish strong. 2 Timothy 4:6-8.
¤Father, empower Daddy and Mummy G.O. to break more new grounds this year.

Open Heavens Devotional & Prayer Points For The 50days Fasting.

Friday 15th January, 2016.

THE RIGHT SIDE.

Memorise
And Moses stood in the gate of the camp, and said, Who is on the LORD’S side? Let him come unto me. And all the sons of Levi gathered themselves together unto him.
-Exodus 32:26.

Read: John 21:1-6.

Message
Being on the wrong side of life is very dangerous. Many things go wrong when you are not in the right place. My prayer for someone using this devotional is that you will never be on the wrong side of life in Jesus’ name. And if you are on the wrong side already, may the Lord move you to the right side of life in Jesus’ name.
In the Bible reading for today, we read about the disciples’ encounter with the resurrected Jesus at the sea of Tiberias. They toiled throughout the night and caught nothing. When Jesus came to them, they did not recognize Him. Jesus teased them and asked “Children, have ye any meat?” The answer was obviously negative. When you are not where you should be, you are on the wrong side and this can bring untold sorrow and lack. The compassionate Jesus then issued a directive that they should throw their net on the “right side” of the ship for a catch. Amazingly, they caught a multitude of fishes. One lesson we must learn from this story is that every child of God must find out which is the right side to be. In Genesis, we read about the wrong side Lot went to when he separated himself from Abraham.

“And Lot lifted up his eyes, and behold all the plain of Jordan, that it was well watered everywhere, before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, even as the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt, as thou comest unto Zoar. Then Lot chose him all the plain of Jordan; and Lot journeyed east: and they separated themselves the one from the other.” Genesis 13:10-11.

Lot greedily chose the land that seemed good for his flock without considering his elder uncle who gave him the option to choose first. Unfortunately, it was the wrong side; it was a place that was marked for destruction, after Lot had become “successful”, the iniquity of that land brought total destruction upon it and Lot took nothing out of the land. As a matter of fact, he lost his wife in the land.

“Then the Lord rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the Lord out of heaven; And he overthrew those cities, and all the plain, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and that which grew upon the ground. But his wife looked back from behind, and she became a pillar of salt.” Genesis 19:24-26.

Beloved, the side of the Lord is the right side. Jesus said: “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest.” Come to the Lord’s side today if you are yet to answer His call. Repent and accept Him as your Lord and Saviour. He will prosper you and give you all-round rest as He has promised.

Prayer Point
Father, please take me away from the wrong side of life and bring me to the right side.

________________________________

Day 5.
PRAYERS FOR THE CHAIRMAN, PROVINCIAL PASTORS, ZONAL PASTORS, AREA PASTORS AND PARISH PASTORS. Zechariah. 3:1-4, Isaiah 55:10-11, Numbers 23:19.
»Father, let your hand rest upon our leaders to operate in divine wisdom.
»Father, continually fill our Pastors with the spirit of God and that they will not be distracted.
»Father, by Your grace and wisdom distinguish our Pastors as a pacesetter and to lead us in your will.
»Father, divinely protect them and their family. Cover them with the blood.
»Lord, we pray our Pastors will hear You clearly through the Holy Spirit not emotions.
»Father, remove every obstacle or objection from their path. John 12:37.

Open Heavens Devotional & Prayer Points For The 50days Fasting.

Saturday 16th January, 2016.

THE NEW ANOINTING.

Memorise

And he that sat upon the throne said, behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.
- Revelations 21:5.

Read: Acts 1:7-8.

7 And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power.
8 But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.

Message

“Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah:” Jeremiah 31:31.

The implication of this passage is that the new covenant presupposes a new anointing which is represented by Jesus Christ. He makes many things
new including our mode of worship. After Jesus Christ had completed the work of our redemption, before He ascended to be with His Father, He promised the disciples the power of the Holy Ghost (Acts 1:5, . The coming of the Holy Ghost brought the new anointing which does many things in the life of a believer. One of such is the conviction of sin. Another thing the new anointing does is found in Luke 4:18-19.

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the broken-hearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.”

The new anointing brings the good news of salvation to sinners. It also brings healing. Deliverance and the recovery of sight to both spiritually and physically blind individuals.
With the new anointing, we are shielded from seducing and lying spirits. We are properly groomed into all Godliness without having to struggle on our own. Also, the Bible says:

“But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him.” 1 John 2:27.

Our Lord Jesus Christ, under the influence of the new anointing, went about doing good, preaching the gospel of peace between man and the Almighty God. When a new believer comes under the new anointing, 2 Cor. 5:17 explains what happens;

“Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold all things are become new.”

My prayer for someone using this devotional is that the blessing of the new anointing will be your portion in Jesus’ name. However, you must surrender your life to Jesus Christ.

Action Point

Activate the new anointing upon your life by praying in Jesus’ name for the baptism of the Holy Spirit.

________________________________

Day 6.
PRAYER FOR MINISTERS, WORKERS AND ALL THE MEMBERS OF RCCG.

»Father, increase our resources emotionally, spiritually, financially, intellectually and relationally. Ephesians 3:20.

»Father, we declare full expression of Your presence in all areas of our life. Zechariah. 2:5.

»Father, increase our capacity. Enlarge the coast of ministers, workers and members of RCCG.

»Ask God to increase our ABILITY - power to make things happen for Your Kingdom. 2 Samuel 22:34-36.

»Father, we declare divine protection all our ministers, workers and member of RCCG. Psalm 91:10-11.

Open Heavens Devotional & Prayer Points For The 50days Fasting.

Sunday 17th January, 2016.

LIKE TEACHER, LIKE STUDENT.

Memorise
Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
- 2 Timothy 2:15.

Read: Philippians 3:14-17.
14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
15 Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you.
16 Nevertheless, whereto we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us mind the same thing.
17 Brethren, be followers together of me, and mark them which walk so as ye have us for an ensample.

Message
In our Bible reading for today, we read of Paul, an outstanding apostle of Jesus Christ. He spoke of his relentless efforts to reach the mark for the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. The following are what he did to attain this goal: he forsook the worldly glory and approval, to gain the approval of God through the righteousness that can only be found in Christ. He endeavoured to know more of Jesus Christ in order to do His will. He was never satisfied with an average Christian life, he made bold to say:

“Brethren, be followers together of me, and mark them which walk so as ye have us for an example. (For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ: Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.)” Philippians 3:17-19.

Beloved, any Church leader who cannot say what Paul said above is not worth following. Show me your teacher and I will tell you who you are and how far you can go in the Christian journey. When I gave my life to Christ, I was blessed with a leader that was heaven-bound; the founder of the Redeemed Christian Church of God. The first time I saw him, I saw the glory of God and the image of Jesus Christ in him and there and then, I knew that if I could follow in footsteps, I would make it in my Christian race. He was impeccably transparent, a lover of the Cross of his Master and Saviour. He did not only teach but practised what he taught to the letter. Paul, the apostle wrote:

“But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.” Galatians 1:8-9.

It is necessary for Christians to prove all things in the light of the revealed truth in the Bible and then hold fast that which is good. Only the truth, and nothing but the truth can set you free from the errors of the end-time. Jesus Christ is the Truth.

When the Bible enjoins you to “study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth”, it simply means, study closely those who lived before you and enjoyed the approval of God, learn those things which they did that earned them God’s approval.

Prayer Point
Father, please reveal Yourself to me afresh through your Son, Jesus Christ, my Lord.

________________________________

Day 7.
PRAYER FOR GIFTS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. 1 Cor. 12:7-11, 2 Timothy 1:6, 1 Cor. 2:4.
1. Lord, let there be visible demonstrations of your power in my life and our services.

2. Lord, stir up every spiritual gift in my life that has become dormant or inactive.

3. Father, stir up every spiritual gift in the church that has been hidden or ignored.

4. Father, let there be divine investment of spiritual gifts and uncommon abilities in RCCG.

Open Heavens Devotional & Prayer Points For The 50days Fasting.

Monday 18th January, 2016.

WEEP NOT: A DIVINE COMMAND.

Memory Verse: Rejoice evermore
-1 Thessalonians 5:16.

Read: Luke 7:12-15.

12 Now when he came nigh to the gate of the city, behold, there was a dead man carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow: and much people of the city was with her.
13 And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her, and said unto her, Weep not.
14 And he came and touched the bier: and they that bare him stood still. And he said, Young man, I say unto thee, Arise.
15 And he that was dead sat up, and began to speak. And he delivered him to his mother.

Message
At times, children of God lose the import of God’s command, which invariably is for our good if we do not take it as a suggestion but as a command. Positively, one of such commands is in one of the shortest verse of the New Testament; “Rejoice evermore.”

In today’s Bible reading, we were given a command; “Weep Not”. This command is easier read than obeyed, but then, it should be obeyed. A widow lost her only son and Jesus Christ commanded her not to weep! This command came before the action that justified it in that situation. To someone reading this devotional, Jesus is telling you; “weep not” because He will intervene in that situation which is causing you to weep. One terrible thing about weeping is that it does not solve the problem at hand. So, why engage in what will not change the situation? Once again I say, “Weep not”. Jesus Christ who asks you not to weep knows what He is going to do about that situation, like in the case of the widow of Nain. The Bible says that Jesus came and touched the coffin that was bearing the dead young man and commanded life to come back to the lifeless body. Death then immediately released the soul of the young man at the command of the One whose Name is the Resurrection and the Life.
Weeping could be very detrimental to those who indulge in it. Apart from being a deviant behaviour against a divine command, it blurs your vision and reasoning. Also, weeping, particularly when God has spoken against it, is an indirect way of protesting against God’s Word. It is equal to murmuring, which is also rebellious. The Bible assuredly says:

“Weeping may endure for a night; but joy cometh in the morning.” Psalm 30:5.

Blessed are we, if we believe the scripture. In addition, the Bible says that weeping blurred Mary Magdalene’s visions on the resurrection morning so much that she mistook Jesus Christ for a gardener!

“Jesus said unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? Whom seekest thou? She, supposing him to be the gardener, saith unto him, Sir, if thou have borne him hence, tell me where thou hast laid him, and I will take him away.” John 20:15.

An antidote for weeping is the reading of God’s Word concerning His promises to us in time of trouble. Another one is high praises to God who specializes in reversing the irreversible. The Bible says that when David was distressed at Ziglag because his wives and children had been taken away by raiders, he appealed to God for consolation, and he was not only consoled, but was also assured of the reversal of the unpleasant situation. Beloved, trust the Lord for the reversal of that seemingly unpleasant situation in your life and that of your loved ones and you will laugh last.

Prayer Point
Father, please wipe away all tears from my eyes by removing those situations that cause me to weep today.
________________________________

Day 8.
MANIFESTATION OF THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT.
Gal 5:22-23, Isaiah 37:31; Isaiah 32:15.
1. Father, I decree that I am deeply rooted in your love and bear upward fruit.

2. Father, I decree that I am only the fruits of righteousness are made manifest in my life.

3. Father, empower me to win souls to the Kingdom of God daily.

Open Heavens Devotional & Prayer Points For The 50days Fasting.

Tuesday 19th January, 2016.

QUALIFIED FOR COMMENDATION?

Memorise
And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.
-Revelation 22:12.

Read: Matthew 25:19-21.
19 After a long time the lord of those servants cometh, and reckoneth with them.
20 And so he that had received five talents came and brought other five talents, saying, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me five talents: behold, I have gained beside them five talents more.
21 His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy Lord.

Message
Man is wonderfully and fearfully made. Created in the image of God, man is a “god” to other creatures. God Almighty created man for a divine purpose and for His pleasure. At the same time, He has earmarked a reward for every man who chooses to fulfil God’s purpose for his life. This is why in our memory verse today, we read about Jesus Christ saying He rewards men according to their works.
In our Bible reading of today, the faithful servant who made good use of the talents given to him by his master received commendation. This story is no doubt talking about the commendation and rewards awaiting believers who faithfully serve the purpose and interest of the Land. The question confronting us in today’s reading is “Are we qualified for commendation?” Jesus Christ said:

“Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the father in my name, he may give it you.” John 15:16.

The Lord is encouraging someone reading this devotional today; He is taking note of your labour of love in the Church and to humanity. Though your pastor or your superior may not commend you, the Almighty God will reward you handsomely if you will not be weary in well doing. Galatians 6:9 says;
“And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.”

The outspoken Peter asked the Lord what their reward would be seeing that they left everything to follow Him. Jesus answered by saying:
“…verily I say unto you, there is no man that hath left house, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my sake, and the gospel’s, but he shall receive an hundredfold now in this time, houses, and  brethren, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands with persecutions; and in the world to come eternal life.” Mark 10:29-30.

Beloved, if you want to receive commendation from the Lord on the last day, the first step is to give your life to Christ. Then, begin to work for Him, serve Him and His Church through soul winning and sacrificial giving. You will surely be commended. Remember He said, “I come quickly and my reward is with me…”

Action Point
Think of a way to use your God given talents to expand God’s Kingdom on earth; be it through giving or aggressive soul-winning.
________________________________

Day 9.
NUMERICAL GROWTH.
Micah 4:1-2, 1 Tim 1:18, Ps 2:8, Ezekiel 36:10, 11, 30, 37.
1. Father, give your church burden for lost souls.

2. Father, uncover every veil hindering people to receive the glorious light of the gospel.

3. Father, we call forth those who are appointed to be the sons and daughters of the RCCG.

Open Heavens Devotional & Prayer Points For The 50days Fasting.

Wednesday 20th January, 2016.

WALKING WITH GOD (1).

Memorise
And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him.
-Genesis 5:24.

Read: Deuteronomy 5:30-33.
30 Go say to them, Get you into your tents again.
31 But as for thee, stand thou here by me, and I will speak unto thee all the commandments, and the statutes, and the judgments, which thou shalt teach them, that they may do them in the land which I give them to possess it.
32 Ye shall observe to do therefore as the Lord your God hath commanded you: ye shall not turn aside to the right hand or to the left.
33 Ye shall walk in all the ways which the Lord your God hath commanded you, that ye may live, and that it may be well with you, and that ye may prolong your days in the land which ye shall possess.

Message
Walking with God can be highly rewarding if we can pay the price. The price, however, is very easy if we are humble-hearted, after all Jesus said: “For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

In our Bible reading of today, we are confronted
with what it takes to walk with God. Walking with God takes complete obedience to His Word. Failure to do this brought calamity upon the human race in the Garden of Eden. The Bible says:

“And the Lord God commanded the man, saying of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.” Genesis 2:16-17.

The first man and woman listened to the devil, who deceived them by telling them that God’s word was a lie. He persuaded them to eat the forbidden fruit, and as a result, they bungled their walk with God and God’s presence began to frighten them.

“And when the woman saw that the tree was good for good, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.” Genesis 3:6.

This is exactly what is still happening today. People find it difficult to live by the words of the Holy Scriptures because they feel it is out-dated. Some theologians are already saying that the ideals of Christ in the gospels are no longer relevant or tenable in the 21st century! These only remind me of what God said concerning His Word and concerning the latter days; Jesus said:

“For verily I say unto you, till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 5:18-19.

Beloved, walking with God is a command that doesn’t just please God but also benefits us greatly. The Bible says:

“… that ye may live, and that it may be well you, and that ye may prolong your days in the land which ye shall possess.” Deuteronomy 5:33.

Prayer Point
Father, please help me to walk with You in complete obedience to Your Word.

________________________________

Day 10.
PRAY FOR HARVEST OF SOULS.
1. Father, let there be massive inflow of souls in all our parishes. Isaiah 2:2-3.

2. Father, increase the influence of RCCG in the community that God has called her to. Isaiah 2:2-3.

3. Father, show me divine opportunities to win souls to Your Kingdom.

Open Heavens Devotional & Prayer Points For The 50days Fasting.

Thursday 21st January, 2016.

WALKING WITH GOD (II).

Memorise
Therefore thus saith the Lord, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste. Isaiah 28:16.

Read: Deuteronomy 8:1-6, 8.

Message
Walking with God requires knowing His ways. There is no way you can walk with God if you do not know His ways, this is because God is invisible and yet only walking with Him guarantees safety and prosperity. Another thing about walking in His ways is that His ways are more often not our ways: The Bible says:

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.” Isaiah 55:8-9.

In our Bible reading for today, God says that His people should remember all the ways in which He led them for forty years. One striking thing about this passage is the fact that man survives majorly on the Word of God and not by bread alone. How did God show His people this truth? He gave them food and water on a daily basis without them labouring. Even their clothes and sandals did not wear out!

“And he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the Lord doth man live. Thy raiment waxed not old upon thee…” Deuteronomy 8:3-4.

The above passage shows that people of God should not disobey God because of what they will eat or drink. Many today are on their way to hell because of what they will eat, drink or put on. This was the truth that guided Jesus when the devil wanted to bring Him down with food in Luke 4:4. Jesus taught his disciples, re-assuring them that as long as they walk with God in His ways through His words, all their needs would be met. He said:

“Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?
Matthew 6:25.

Beloved, I encourage you to begin to walk with God by His Word from today, and you will experience His Almighty benevolence in Jesus’ name.

Prayer Point
Father, please help me to always trust and take you by Your infallible Word in Jesus’ name.

________________________________

Day 11.
REVIVAL IN THE LAND.
1 Tim 1:18, 2 Chron. 7:14, Hosea 14:7, Zechariah 10:1.

1. Father, pour out your mercy on us as a church.

2. Father, purge me of every form of disobedience and self-centeredness.

3. Father, give me the grace to make the sacrifices required for the revival to break forth in our land.

4. Lord, we break down the satanic strongholds that control the minds and hearts of people in the land.

5. Father, we release the spirit of prayer upon our land.

Open Heavens Devotional & Prayer Points For The 50days Fasting.

Friday 22nd January, 2016.

WALKING WITH GOD (III).

Memorise
He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully.
- Psalm 24:4.

Read: Psalm 24:3-6.

3 Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord? or who shall stand in his holy place?
4 He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully.
5 He shall receive the blessing from the Lord, and righteousness from the God of his salvation.
6 This is the generation of them that seek him, that seek thy face, O Jacob. Selah.

Message
Walking with God requires living holy because God is holy. According to the Scriptures, two can’t walk together if they do not agree. When we live holy, we are in agreement with God. The Lord spoke with Abram thus:

“And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the Lord appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect.”
Genesis 17:1.

In our Bible reading for today, we are confronted with some fundamental requirements for an acceptable walk with God. The first one is clean hands. If your hands are defiled, you cannot walk with God. What is it that defiles a man’s hands? Blood money is one; money that belongs to another person or organisation but you have taken unlawfully is another. Also, your hands are defiled by the unlawful touch of another man’s wife or another woman’s husband.

“Can a man take fire in his bosom and his clothes not be burned? Can one go upon hot coals, and his feet not be burned? So he that goeth into his neighbour ‘s wife; whosoever toucheth her shall not be innocent.” Proverbs 6:27-29.

Moreover, only a man with a pure heart can effectively and acceptably walk with God. The heart is deceitful and desperately wicked, but God is able to remove this wickedness. This is why everyone must surrender his or her heart to God for spiritual surgery through genuine repentance. The Scripture says all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. If we confess our sins to God, He is faithful to forgive us and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. God also promises:

“And I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within you; and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh, and I will give them an heart of flesh: that they may walk in my statutes, and keep mine ordinances, and do them: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God.” Ezekiel 11:19-20.

Jesus Christ said that we cannot serve God and Mammon. Also, the Bible enjoins us not to love the world and its vanities. Failure to heed this scriptural injunction is lifting up our soul unto vanity. The love of money can hinder our Christian walk with God. It makes Christians do such things as swearing to false affidavits. May the Lord deliver you from anything that works against your walk with God in Jesus’ name.

Action Point
Using 2 Corinthians 6:14-18, pray that God will enable you to shun anything that will hinder your walk with Him.
________________________________

Day 12.
REVIVAL AND RESTORATION - Ezekiel 37:1-14, Matt 16:18.

»Father, build your church into strong army, to take territories for you.
»Father, let there be restoration of lost hopes & dreams this year. 2 Samuel 9:7.
»Lord, I decree upon my life the anointing to overtake and recover lost glory. Joel 2:25-27, 1Samuel 30:8, 19.
»Father, make every dry land a spring of water for me and your church. Isaiah 35:7.
»Father, revive every dead situations in my life. Ezekiel 37.
»Father, release spirit of grace and supplication upon RCCG to be a house of prayer and manifestation of your power.

Open Heavens Devotional & Prayer Points For The 50days Fasting.

Saturday 23rd January, 2016.

DIVINE TRANSFORMATION (I).

Memorise
Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold all things are become new.
2 Corinthians 5:17.

Read: 1 Corinthians 6:9-11.
9 Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind,
10 Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.
11 And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.

Message
Yesterday, we read about the state of the heart of man being very wicked. We also read about spiritual surgery which can bring about divine transformation. The work of redemption performed by Jesus Christ makes divine transformation possible.

In the Bible reading for today, we note the terrible things that man is capable of. Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ, unequivocally said that those who do those things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. However, he wrote:
“And such were some of you; but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.”
1 Corinthians 6:11.

Our Lord Jesus Christ was speaking to Nicodemus about divine transformation when He said to him: “Verily, verily, I say unto thee, except a man is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” Being born of water and of the Spirit brings about divine transformation.
The mystery of the new birth cannot be explained by human reasoning except through the enlightenment by the Spirit of our God. For example, in the epistle of John:
“He that commiteth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth form the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil. Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.” 1 John 3:8-9.

There are two main avenues for experiencing divine transformation: the first is genuine repentance; when a man voluntarily submits his will to God in obedience. The other one is the power in the blood of Jesus Christ; the blood of the new covenant is much more superior to the blood of the bull (Hebrews 10:4). Therefore, for divine transformation, Jesus Christ is the answer. I pray that all the necessary transformation you need to live an acceptable life before God will be given to you through Jesus Christ, our Lord.

Prayer Point
Father, please cleanse me from all impurities and let my life conform to Your original image.
________________________________

Day 13.
THE CHURCH - Acts 2:42–47.

«Father, give your church grace (Leaders & Members) to be steadfast and faithful in their role in the land. Acts 6:4, 2 Cor. 7:1, Gal. 6:9.
«Father, let there be oneness and unity in your church.
Col. 4:2, Phil. 2:2, 5, Mat. 16:18.
«Father, build Your church. We come against every agenda of the enemy against your church.
«Father, let Your church have a personal encounter with You.
«Father, strenghten the faith of each member of RCCG to do the work of ministry.
2 Tim. 1:9, 1 Cor. 16:13, Jude 1:20.

Open Heavens Devotional & Prayer Points For The 50days Fasting.

Sunday 24th January, 2016.

DIVINE TRANSFORMATION (II).

Memorise
And the spirit of the Lord will come upon thee, and thou shalt prophesy with them, and shalt be turned into another man.
1 Samuel 10:6.

Read: 1 Samuel 10:1-6.

Message
The Almighty God at creation set the natural laws in motion, and they started to function just as He commanded them. For example, the sun rises and sets at the appointed times and so does the moon. However, whenever God decides to showcase His sovereignty, He may decide to suspend these laws and do things as He pleases. He may even decide to bring something out of nothing or make somebody out of nobody. This is what people call ‘a miracle’. My prayer to someone using this devotional today is that a divine transformation will make you somebody where you have been looked upon as nobody in Jesus’ name.

The story in our Bible reading today reveals a divine transformation in the life of the first king of Israel, King Saul. He was not just appointed as a king; he started to prophesy. The good news is that a better transformation which is equally divine is now available to whoever is willing to surrender his life to Jesus Christ. The Bible says in 2 Corinthians 5:17;
“Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold all things are become new.”

As a result of this experience, the believer becomes a very important personality. Apostle Peter called us chosen, royal priesthood and peculiar. Beloved, do you desire divine transformation? There is only one person who can give you this experience; and this is Jesus Christ. The Bible says;
“He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, and lifteth up the beggar from the dunghill, to set them among princes…”1 Samuel 2:8.

However, the divine transformation which makes an enemy of God become a friend of this same God, take some responsibilities. Old things must pass away and the fellow must now live according to the principles of the kingdom of God. The Bible says;
“And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.”
1 John 3:3.
This reality which King Saul did not pay close attention to might have been responsible for his dethronement. This may also account for the downfall of many children of God, who God transformed and raised to be His ministers, but took the grace of transformation for granted and lost their positions both in the ministry and in the kingdom of God. This will not be your portion in Jesus’ name.
Prayer Point

Father, please use your almighty power to give me a pleasant transformation this season in Jesus’ name.
________________________________

Day 14.
THE COMMUNITY – Acts 2: 46, 47.

»Father, grant us wisdom and strategy to minister/ be relevant to the community.
Matt 5:16, Col 1:9-11.
»Lord, grant them receptive heart.
Psalm 95:7-8, Acts 19:19-20.
»Father, grant us mighty signs and wonders.
»Father, grant us power of the Spirit of God to preach the gospel in United Kingdom.

Jj

Open Heavens Devotional & Prayer Points For The 50days Fasting.

Monday 25th January, 2016.

THE LORD STRONG AND MIGHTY.

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: Psalm 24:7-10.
7 Lift up your heads, O ye gates; and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in.
8 Who is this King of glory? The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle.
9 Lift up your heads, O ye gates; even lift them up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in.
10 Who is this King of glory? The Lord of hosts, he is the King of glory. Selah.

Message
It should be surprising to see children of God cringing in the presence of forces that threaten not only their physical lives, but also their relationships with their Father in heaven. This attitude is unlike that of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in Babylon. These young Hebrew men knew their God to be strong and mighty, and they were bold enough to declare it to the absolute director, king Nebuchadnezzar. This is what is expected of us as children of the Most High God.

In the testimony of the Psalmist in our Bible reading for today, we read of him speaking about the God who is strong and mighty in battle. This God has never lost any battle. Like I have preached on many occasions, this God is a war-Lord; He is more effective than any Chief of Naval Staff when it comes to sea battles, He is more effective than any Chief of Air Staff when it comes to offensive air battles. This was proven in the battle he fought on behalf of the children of Israel under the leadership of Joshua:

“And it come to pass, as they fled from before Israel, and were in the going down to Beth-horon, that the Lord cast down great stones from heaven upon them unto Azekah, and they died: they were more which died with hailstones than they whom the children of Israel slew with the sword.” Joshua 10:11.

Beloved, I am pleased to announce to you that if truly you are born-again, your God is strong and mighty. Hence, you have no reason to fear any attack of the enemies. The Bible says:

“So shall they fear the name of the Lord from the west, and his glory from the raising of the sun. When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the spirit of the Lord shall lift up a standard against him. And the Redeemer shall come to Zion, and unto them that turn from transgression in Jacob, saith the Lord.” Isaiah 59:19-20.

There is something very important to note in the above scripture; “….unto them that turn from transgression….” The Lord, strong and mighty can only fight on behalf of those who have reconciled with Him through genuine repentance. Sin exposes an individual to enemy attacks. Therefore, I appeal to someone reading this devotional; ensure that your life is void of iniquity which makes you vulnerable to the attack of the enemy. Our God is strong and mighty. Those who have walked with Him sincerely have this as their testimony. It will be yours too in Jesus’ name.

Prayer Point
Father, please show yourself strong and mighty in my life so that my enemies may fear, repent and surrender to your Almightiness.
________________________________

Day 15.
THE NATION – Jeremiah 29:7.

«Father, let Your peace reign in UK.
«Lord, let the storms of terror be removed.
Psalm 91:4 –7, Mark 4:37 -39.
«Father, let the leaders surround and subject themselves to Godly counsel.
Proverbs 19:21, 1 Timothy 2:1-2, Proverbs 14:34.
«Father, grant us boldness to declare and uphold the message of righteousness.

Open Heavens Devotional & Prayer Points For The 50days Fasting.

Tuesday 26th January, 2016.

FREE INDEED.

Memory Verse
If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.
-John 8:36.

Read: John 8:34-36.

34 Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin.

35 And the servant abideth not in the house for ever: but the Son abideth ever.

36 If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.

Message

Many people claim to be free, but they are not free indeed! The only genuine freedom is available in Jesus Christ. Anyone that still commits sin and claims to be free is living in self-deceit. The greatest task-master in the world is sin. Whoever is under its grip is not free and as a matter of fact, has no mind of his own.

During the days of Jesus here on earth, the Jews did not know they were in bondage. Hence, they were surprised when Jesus said that the words which He was speaking to them would set them free. In the scriptural passage before us today, Jesus Christ revealed the source of bondage which people entangle themselves in.

“Jesus answered them, verily, verily I say unto you, whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin.”
John 8:34.

Only the truth of the Word of God can set a man free from the slavery of sin. The question is how can
we know the truth? Jesus is the only truth that can set us free from the slavery of sin. No other means can afford us the desired freedom. Another liberating truth in the Word of God is that whoever commits sin is of the devil, but the Son of God has come to destroy the power of sin in man.

“He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose, the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.”
1 John 3:8.

In Acts 4:12, we read that there is no salvation by any other, because there is no other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.

Beloved, if you are being intimidated by the task-master of sin (the devil), the good news is that Jesus Christ is able to set you free, if you will come to him today in total repentance. It is only Jesus that can make you free indeed. Believe Him today, and you will be free from all forms of bondage.

Prayer Point
Father, please set me free from all forms of bondage in which the enemy has kept me in Jesus’ name.
________________________________

Day 16.
CHILDREN.

»Lord, let our children receive life and they shall be saved.
2 Timothy 3:15, Titus 1: 9.
»Father, may our children never be victims of someone else's mistake.
»Lord, our children’s destinies not be destroyed or disrupted by accident or incident.
»Father, our children’s lives will not be terminated as a result of someone's error.
2 Samuel 4:4, 2 Peter 3:17.
»Pray for growth and increase in wisdom, stature and favour with God and man in the lives of our children.
Luke 2: 52, 2 Peter 3: 18, 92:12.

Open Heavens Devotional & Prayer Points For The 50days Fasting.

Wednesday 27th January, 2016.

MAKING YOUR MARRIAGE WORK (1).

Memorise
Who can find a virtuous woman? For her price is far above rubies.”
-Proverbs 31:10.

Read: Ephesians 5:21-25.
21 Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.
22 Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord.
23 For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body.
24 Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing.
25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;”

Message
It takes great commitment to make a marriage successful and blissful. The gift of God demands the commitment of those who are involved. The good thing is that the Bible is not silent on what couples must do to make their marriages work.

I pray for couples reading this devotional; your marriage will be highly successful in Jesus’ name.

In our Bible reading for today, we are blessed with some principles which will help us make our marriage work. The first one that catches our attention is the mutual submission between the husband and the wife. Both the husband and the wife must learn to mutually submit to one another.

The reason is found in the first epistle of Paul to the Corinthians: “Let the husband render unto the wife due benevolence: and likewise also the wife unto the husband. The wife hath not power of her own body, but the husband; and likewise also the husband hath no power of his own body but the wife.” 1 Corinthians 7:3-4.

Another principle that any woman who wants her marriage to succeed should imbibe is unconditional submission. This is the submission that does not attach any condition to compliance. The Christian wife must learn to submit to her husband. When she does this, she receives blessings which money cannot buy from God.

"For after this manner in the old time the holy women also, who trusted in God, adorned themselves, being in subjection unto their own husbands: even as Sara obeyed Abraham, calling him lord: whose daughters ye are as long as ye do well, and are not afraid with any amazement.” 1 Peter 3:5-6.

It is dangerous for a woman to go into marriage partnership with a man she will not submit herself to. It is better for such a woman not to get married at all. When the Word of God says, “wives, submit..” some people take this as a piece of advice. However, it is not a piece of advice, but an express command; it must be obeyed.

As a matter of fact, the Bible goes further to reveal the degree of submission; it says: “...as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything.”

Years ago, I counseled one of my daughters along this line when she began to have problems with her marriage. Initially, she did not find it pleasant, but I told her that she could not do contrary if she really wanted her marriage to work. The problem with her then was that she was highly educated as her husband and she felt she had equal rights with her husband.

May the Lord bless your home with eternal peace in Jesus’ name.

Action Point
Take a practical step of voluntary submission to your husband as unto the Lord today, and the Lord will give you a peaceful home.
________________________________

Day 17.
HEALING & HEALTH - Isaiah 53:5.

«Father, illuminate my eye with the revelation of Christ’s finished work.
Isaiah 53:4-5, 1 Peter 2:24.
«Lord, cast out every spirit of infirmity.
Mark 7:25-30, Luke 13:11-13.
«Lord, I will enjoy perfect health and wholeness. Isaiah 58:8, Jeremiah 30:17.
«Father, no room in my life for sorrow, depression sickness and pain.
Isaiah 53:4.
«Father, I declare that every sickness in my body is destroyed in Jesus name.
1 John 3:8.