Open Heavens Devotional.
Saturday 4th February, 2017.
LIVING IN THE SUPERNATURAL.

Hymn 12: HOW SWEET THE NAME OF JESUS.

1. How sweet the Name of Jesus sounds
In a believer’s ear!
It soothes our sorrows, heals our wounds,
And drives away our fear.

2. It makes the wounded spirit whole
And calms the troubled breast;
'tis manna to the hungry soul,
And to the weary, rest.

3. O Jesus! my shepherd, guardian, friend,
My Prophet, Priest and King,
My Lord, my Life, my Way, my End,
Accept the praise I bring.

4. How weak is the effort of my heart,
How cold my warmest thought;
But when I see you as you are,
I’ll praise you as I ought.

5. Till then I would your love proclaim
With every fleeting breath;
And may the music of your Name
Refresh my soul in death.

Memorise
But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.
- Philippians 4:19.

READ: 2 Samuel 6:9-12.
9 And David was afraid of the LORD that day, and said, How shall the ark of the LORD come to me?
10 So David would not remove the ark of the LORD unto him into the city of David: but David carried it aside into the house of Obededom the Gittite.
11 And the ark of the LORD continued in the house of Obededom the Gittite three months: and the LORD blessed Obededom, and all his household.
12 And it was told king David, saying, The LORD hath blessed the house of Obededom, and all that pertaineth unto him, because of the ark of God. So David went and brought up the ark of God from the house of Obededom into the city of David with gladness.

Message
There is nothing as valuable as the Word of the Lord. Its value lies in the fact that it will always fulfil that which the Lord has spoken. The words of men, as noble as they may sound, can never be relied on. You must have experienced on several occasions of politicians making promises that will never come to pass. Some of them build roads with their mouths while some others make empty promises of employment for the youths. However, when God speaks, it is done! Having experienced the efficacy of God's Word, the Psalmist in Psalm 119:89 made this declaration:
"For ever, O LORD, thy word is settled in heaven."

You need to place a high premium on any word from the Lord. It takes the word of the Lord to experience the supernatural. Prophet Elijah recieved the word of the Lord on the exact place to go in order to be sustained during famine (1 Kings 17:8-9). There are many people who are wandering through life because they do not know what to do. That will not be your portion in Jesus' Name. I decree in the Name of my Father, the Maker of the heavens and the earth, that you will receive direction from Him that will position your life at an advantage.

If you are one of those who think that their problems are far from the touch of the supernatural, I have good news for you: before the end of the first quarter of this year, what the Lord will do in your life will attract the presence of the media. When the children of Israel were bringing the Ark of the Covenant into Jerusalem, something remarkable occurred along the way. In order to avoid the anger of the Lord, they had placed the Ark of the Covenant in the house of Obed-Edom, someone they considered a never-do-well. However, by the presence of the supernatural in the life of Obed-Edom, a never-do-well suddenly began to do well. He who was a nobody became somebody. The man who they had all concluded would die poor began to enjoy abundant wealth. I want you to know that the moment you make room for the presence of the supernatural in your life, anything called poverty will become a stranger to your house, because wherever God is, there must be abundance. In 1 Kings 17:8-16, the widow of Zarephath had only one meal left before the carrier of the supernatural arrived on the scene. The moment Elijah arrived, the last meal of this widow became her first of many. Absolute poverty gave room to absolute prosperity. Make up your mind to serve the Lord, and He will guide you on the exact steps to take for your life to turn around for the better. God is waiting for you to release yourself totally to Him; you will be amazed by the instructions He will release to you that will make you the envy of all.

KEY Point
Those who live by the supernatural can never be at the mercy of the natural.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
Luke 18-19
Isaiah 30:8-22.

Open Heavens Devotional.
Sunday 5th February, 2017.
*GREAT FAITH.*

_HYMN 1: MY FAITH LOOKS UP TO THEE._

1: My faith looks up to Thee,
Thou Lamb of Calvary,
Savior Divine;
Now hear me while I pray;
Take all my guilt away;
Oh, let me from this day
Be wholly Thine.

2: May Thy rich grace impart
Strength to my fainting heart,
My zeal inspire;
As Thou hast died for me,
Oh, may my love to Thee
Pure, warm, and changeless be,
A living fire.

3: While life’s dark maze I tread,
And griefs around me spread,
Be Thou my Guide;
Bid darkness turn to day,
Wipe sorrow’s tears away,
Nor let me ever stray
From Thee aside.

4: When life's swift race is run,
Death's cold work almost done,
Be near to me.
Blest Saviour, then, in love
Fear and distrust remove.
O bear me safe above,
Redeemed and free!

_Memorise_
And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God.
- Mark 11:22.

*Read: Luke 7:1-9.*
1 Now when he had ended all his sayings in the audience of the people, he entered into Capernaum.
2 And a certain centurion's servant,who was dear unto him, was sick, and ready to die.
3 And when he heard of Jesus, he sent unto him the elders of the Jews, beseeching him that he would come and heal his servant.
4 And when they came to Jesus, they besought him instantly, saying, That he was worthy for whom he should do this:
5 for he loveth our nation, and he hath built us a synagogue.
6 Then Jesus went with them. And when he was now not far from the house, the centurion sent friends to him, saying unto him, Lord, trouble not thyself: for I am not worthy that thou shouldest enter under my roof:
7 Wherefore neither thought I myself worthy to come unto thee: but say in a word, and my servant shall be healed.
8 for I also am a man set under authority, having under me soldiers, and I say unto one, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it.
9 When Jesus heard these things, he marvelled at him, and turned him about, and said unto the people that followed him, I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel.

_Message_
Great faith is a kind of faith that works wonders in the life of an individual. It brings into manifestation the miracle-working power of God and makes one see His glory. Jesus referred to this kind of faith when He said to Martha,

_"Said I not unto thee, that, if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God?"_
John 11:38b

The power of God is beyond human understanding; for this reason, you need to believe what God says, even when you don't know how He will do it. This is where faith comes in. There will always be a reason to doubt, but we must continue to suppress all doubts with great faith in God. Are there mountains in your life that you want removed? Are there steps you want to take that will lead to your breakthrough but you are having doubts about? Are there promises you received from God for which fulfilment seems impossible now? All will be well, and my God will remove every mountain before you. He will bring you to your desired destination in Jesus’ Name.

Unbelief is very dangerous because it displeases God. When the Almighty speaks to you and says what He will do, don’t begin to scratch your head for a rationalization of its possibility. Like the children of Israel, contemporary believers are afraid of stepping into their glorious destinies because of unbelief (Hebrew 3:18-19). In Mark 3:1-5, Jesus went into a synagogue and there was a man there with a withered hand. Jesus told him to stretch out his hand, even though he knew his hand was withered. If that man had refused to act in great faith, he would have missed his miracle. As a child of God, when you say you believe God, your next action must show that you truly do. Exhibition of great faith produces the supernatural. This will lead to events that contravene the laws of nature taking place in your life. One of my daughters was told that her womb was too small to nurture a child to the point of delivery. This was the doctor’s report, and the doctor was right because that was his field of speciality. However, God wanted to show to the doctor and to my daughter that He is the Doctor of all doctors and that He can overrule any report. By His awesome power, the same womb that the doctor said could not nurture a child carried and gave birth to four children at once. It is only in God that such compelling events can happen, but it takes great faith in Him to reverse the irreversible in your life. This is why you need to come to Him and make Him your all in all. What is the physical challenge you are having in your body? By the power of God, an end has come to it today in Jesus’ Name.

_Action Point_
Take stock of anything you have given up hope on, and exercise great faith on it.

*BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:*
Luke 20-21,
Isaiah 30:23-33.

Open Heavens Devotional.
Monday 6th February, 2017.
*THE SURE SOURCE OF PROMOTION.*

HYMN 7: O JESUS, I HAVE PROMISED.
_1. O Jesus, I have promised,
To serve Thee to the end;
Be Thou forever near me,
My Master and my Friend;
I shall not fear the battle
If Thou art by my side,
Nor wander from the pathway
If Thou wilt be my Guide._

2. Oh, let me hear Thee speaking,
In accents clear and still,
I dare not trust my judgment:
Thy way shall be my will;
Oh, speak to reassure me,
To hasten or control;
Oh, speak, and make me listen,
Thou Guardian of my soul.

_3. O Jesus, Thou hast promised
To all who follow Thee
That where Thou art in glory
There shall Thy servant be;
And Jesus, I have promised
To serve Thee to the end;
Oh, give me grace to follow,
My Master and my Friend._

4. Oh, let me see Thy footmarks,
And in them plant mine own;
My hope to follow duly
Is in Thy strength alone.
Oh, guide me, call me, draw me,
Uphold me to the end;
And then in Heav'n receive me,
My Savior and my Friend.

_Memorise_
For promotion cometh neither from the east, nor from the west, nor from the south.
- Psalm 75:6.

*Read: Psalm 113:1-9.*
1 Praise ye the Lord. Praise, O ye servants of the Lord, praise the name of the Lord.
2 Blessed be the name of the Lord from this time forth and for evermore.
3 From the rising of the sun unto the going down of the same the Lord's name is to be praised.
4 The Lord is high above all nations, and his glory above the heavens.
5 Who is like unto the Lord our God, who dwelleth on high,
6 Who humbleth himself to behold the things that are in heaven, and in the earth!
7 He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, and lifteth the needy out of the dunghill;
8 That he may set him with princes, even with the princes of his people.
9 He maketh the barren woman to keep house, and to be a joyful mother of children. Praise ye the Lord.

_Message_
The promotion that comes from God is worth waiting for; never settle for the promotion of men. Man can promote you today and demote you the next day. When man promotes you, they will expect something in return, but when God promotes you, all your sorrows will turn to joy and you will have absolute peace even in the midst of trouble. God’s promotion usually shuts the mouth of detractors. Your detractors are those who boasted that you would never rise in their presence, and those who threatened that they would use the power of their position to destroy you, because you have refused to bow to their gods. They are those who, because of your uncompromising conviction, have said they will never recommend you for promotion as long as they are on the seat of power. I have good news for you: by this time tomorrow, their promotion will be at your mercy in Jesus’ Name. They will never be able to carry out their mischievous plans against you in Jesus’ Name. Concerning such people, the word of God in Psalm 21:11 says,
_"For they intended evil against thee: they imagined a mischievous device, which they are not able to perform."_

When God promotes you, you will go from success to success. This is why you need to make Him your ally. You need to come to Him, and let Him take over your life. The Lord’s decision is always final. If He decides to promote you, no man can demote you. If He says this is your season, no accuser can deny you access. If He decides to bless you, no curse can prevail over you. All you need to do is to ensure His presence never departs from your life. There is someone reading this Devotional: by the time God starts with you, the whole world will be amazed. God promoted Joshua from being a messenger to the position of a commander. When God told him to take over the mantle of leadership from Moses and lead the children of Israel to the Promised Land, Joshua thought God was joking. God had to reassure him repeatedly that as He was with Moses, He would be with Him (Joshua 1:5-9, Joshua 3:7). Irrespective of how forceful the opposition confronting you is, when God is promoting you, He will cause you to experience certain blessings that will make all your enemies crumble. You will be able to do things you never thought you could do. However, God will not promote a person who is just folding his hands doing nothing. It is the soul of the diligent that will be made fat (Proverbs 13:4). If you are a hardworking person, God will reward you. God does not bless the lazy. What you sow is what you reap. If you want to soar, you have to go the extra mile and be a benchmark in the lifestyle of holiness and excellence.

_Prayer Point:_
Father, let Your presence command blessings into my life.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
Luke 22,
Isaiah 31:1-32:8.

Open Heavens Devotional.
Tuesday 7th February, 2017.
NONE SHALL BE BARREN.

HYMN 4 : THROUGH THE LOVE OF GOD OUR SAVIOUR.
1 Through the love of God our Saviour,
all will be well.
Free and changeless is his favour,
all, all is well.
Precious is the blood that healed us,
perfect is the grace that sealed us,
strong the hand stretched forth to shield us,
all must be well.

2 Though we pass through tribulation,
all will be well.
Ours is such a full salvation,
all, all is well.
Happy, still in God confiding,
fruitful, if in Christ abiding,
holy, through the Spirit’s guiding,
all must be well.

3 We expect a bright tomorrow,
all will be well.
Faith can sing through days of sorrow,
‘All, all is well.’
On our Father’s love relying,
Jesus every need supplying,
in our living, in our dying,
all must be well.

Memorise
He maketh the barren woman to keep house, and to be a joyful mother of children. Praise ye the LORD.
- Psalm 113:9.

Read: Exodus 23:24-26 (KJV)
24 Thou shalt not bow down to their gods, nor serve them, nor do after their works: but thou shalt utterly overthrow them, and quite break down their images.
25 And ye shall serve the Lord your God, and he shall bless thy bread, and thy water; and I will take sickness away from the midst of thee.
26 There shall nothing cast their young, nor be barren, in thy land: the number of thy days I will fulfil.

Message
Contrary to what the world would have you believe, you are a creation of the Almighty God. You were put here on earth to fulfil a divine purpose, and part of that purpose is multiplication. When God created you, He gave you a mandate, and He equally endowed you to fulfil this mandate (Genesis 1:28). You need to therefore understand that no demon, power, principality or even medical practitioner can say that there is no solution to the challenges you are facing. The only person permitted to have the final say over your situation is the Almighty God, and this is what He says about you in Exodus 23:26:
“There shall nothing cast their young, nor be barren, in thy land: the number of thy days I will fulfil.”

Have you been tagged barren by this world? I want to assure you that your situation is not hopeless. The same God who remembered Rachael will surely remember you and remove every reproach in your life in Jesus’ Name (Genesis 30:22). While Rachael trusted God for the fruit of the womb, the world despised her, her sister disdained her and her husband gave up on her; but by the time the Lord decided to repay her for the many years she had been under ridicule, her testimony exceeded that of those who had written her off.
I pity those who consult diviners in their search for children. God’s stance on this is very clear:

“There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch, Or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer.”
Deuteronomy 18:10-11.

Every child that is gotten through the help of diviners will not give you joy. Submit to what God only can give. Do not run faster than your shadow. At God’s appointed time and season, your song will change. As the Lord remembered Rachael He will surely remember you. Every reproach, sorrow, humiliation and secret cry of yours shall be brought to an end this month in Jesus’ Name. All you need to do is to worship the One who can do what doctors’ say is impossible. Every husband who has been praying silently for his wife shall rejoice this season in Jesus’ Name. Every family needs to unite together in prayer to wage war against those things that are not part of God’s promise for your destiny. Have you lost so many years while waiting in expectation? Know that there is a God of redemption, and that the lost years of your life can be redeemed. The promises of God’s restoration will come to pass in your life in Jesus’ Name.

Action Point
Father, I command that every seed of barrenness in me withers away now in Jesus’ Name.

Bible In One Year:
Luke 23-24, Isaiah 32:9-33:9.

Open Heavens Devotional.
Wednesday 8th February, 2017.
*ANOTHER CHANCE.*

_HYMN 11: I HAVE DECIDED TO FOLLOW JESUS._

1. I have decided to follow Jesus;
I have decided to follow Jesus;
I have decided to follow Jesus;
No turning back, no turning back.

_2. Though none go with me,
I still will follow;
Though none go with me,
I still will follow;
Though none go with me,
I still will follow;
No turning back, no turning back._

3. My cross I'll carry, till I see Jesus;
My cross I'll carry, till I see Jesus;
My cross I'll carry, till I see Jesus;
No turning back, no turning back.

_4. The world behind me,
The cross before me;
The world behind me, the cross before me;
The world behind me,
The cross before me;
No turning back, no turning back._

_Memorise_
She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.
- John 8:11.

_READ: John 8:1-11._
1 Jesus went unto the mount of Olives.
2 And early in the morning he came again into the temple, and all the people came unto him; and he sat down, and taught them.
3 And the scribes and Pharisees brought unto him a woman taken in adultery; and when they had set her in the midst,
4 They say unto him, Master, this woman was taken in adultery, in the very act.
5 Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what sayest thou?
6 This they said, tempting him, that they might have to accuse him. But Jesus stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground, as though he heard them not.
7 So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.
8 And again he stooped down, and wrote on the ground.
9 And they which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last: and Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst.
10 When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee?
11 She said, no man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.

_Message_
While it is very sweet and pleasant to be given another chance in life, in the face of resignation to doom and hopelessness, making the most of the opportunity presented by such a privilege is of greater importance. A classical example of someone who enjoyed another chance at life is the woman caught in the act of sexual immorality in today’s Bible reading. Just when her life would have been taken away from her, God gave her another chance. Under the Mosaic Law, for her sin of adultery, she should have paid the supreme price of death through stoning. The scribes and Pharisees arrested and brought her to Jesus Christ for condemnation, but because He came to rescue and save the lost, he gave her another chance to live. The mercy of God that smiled on this woman on that fateful day caused her to be brought to the Saviour of life and not to the taker of it. After throwing a poser to her accusers which rocked the foundation of their souls and caused them to abandon their mission to take a life they did not create, Jesus in John 8:10 turned to this woman and asked her,

_"….Woman, where are those thine accusers? Hath no man condemned thee?" "No man, Lord", she replied._

Praise God for the verdict of Jesus which gave her another chance:

_"…Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more."_ John 8:11

To someone reading this Devotional, Jesus Christ is saying to you today that though your family, your friends, your church, your government or the world many have condemned and written you off, He has not condemned you. He says to you, "Receive my forgiveness but go and sin no more" . Thank God for His mercies. His mercy is so great that even the thief on the right side of the cross was given another chance (Luke 23:40-43)! This is the wonder of the cross. Beloved, you can be a partaker of the second chance that Jesus offers. Probably you are reading this in the prison yard, and you have been condemned to die. Do what that thief did – acknowledge your sins, repent of them, and accept Jesus Christ as the Righteous One who died for the unrighteous like you. Plead for God’s mercy and believe you have received it through Jesus Christ. I assure you that the door of a second chance is opened to you. Seize it, celebrate it and thank God for it. You are now saved by grace. Hallelujah!

_Prayer Point_
Father, forgive me for my past misdeeds. Give me another chance to live my life for You.

_BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:_
John 1-3,
Isaiah 33:10-24.

Open Heavens Devotional.
Friday 10th February, 2017.
*FAITHFUL STEWARD.*

_HYMN 9: ON THE HILL AWAY._
1.On a hill far away stood an old rugged cross,
the emblem of suffering and shame;
and I love that old cross where the dearest and best
for a world of lost sinners was slain.

Refrain:
_So I'll cherish the old rugged cross,
till my trophies at last I lay down;
I will cling to the old rugged cross,
and exchange it some day for a crown._

2.O that old rugged cross, so despised by the world,
has a wondrous attraction for me;
for the dear Lamb of God left his glory above
to bear it to dark Calvary.

3.In that old rugged cross, stained with blood so divine,
a wondrous beauty I see,
for 'twas on that old cross Jesus suffered and died,
to pardon and sanctify me.

4.To the old rugged cross I will ever be true;
its shame and reproach gladly bear;
then he'll call me some day to my home far away,
where his glory forever I'll share.

_Memorise_
Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.
- 1 Corinthians 4:2.

_READ: LUKE 12:42-48._
42 And the Lord said, Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his lord shall make ruler over his household, to give them their portion of meat in due season?
43 Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing.
44 Of a truth I say unto you, that he will make him ruler over all that he hath.
45 But and if that servant say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming; and shall begin to beat the menservants and maidens, and to eat and drink, and to be drunken;
46 The lord of that servant will come in a day when he looketh not for him, and at an hour when he is not aware, and will cut him in sunder, and will appoint him his portion with the unbelievers.
47 And that servant, which knew his lord's will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes.
48 But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more.

_Message_
Faithfulness is a basic requirement for those who want to succeed in their dealings with God. For those who desire to be great, relevant and effective in life and ministry, there is no other way around it. Today, the Church in my opinion is not in short supply of Christian workers; rather, faithful workers are scarce. God blesses beyond measure, all those who exhibit faithfulness in His service. I have always told my children in ministry that when a man of God does the work of God the way it should be done, what he or she will eat would not be a prayer point. This is because God is committed to those who are faithful in His business. He gave us this guarantee in Hebrew 6:10:

_"For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister."_

God is looking for men and women who are faithful stewards of all He has committed to their hands. You should be faithful in the handling of finances and not allow your heart be consumed by the love of money. Faithfulness is also required in the way you use your authority. You should be faithful in your service to God and in your service to humanity. You should be faithful in how you manage other people’s time, because time is life. Stewardship is a trust that must not be abused. You should always remember that you will give account of all that God has entrusted to you. You should take the business of the kingdom seriously and not be complacent in your approach to life. You have to be steadfast and diligent in whatever assignment you are given. Diligence is a key that gives you access to people in high places (Proverbs 22:29). As a faithful steward in the vineyard, you have to be focused on your own mandate and never use another man as a parameter to evaluate your life (2 Corinthians 10:12). To be focused is to have a target and to work towards actualising it to the glory of God, being conscious of the fact that God’s business requires urgency. Jesus made this clear in John 9:4:

_"I will work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work."_

All the gifts, talents and potential that you have been given by God are expected to be deployed for His glory. It is my prayer that as you discern, develop and deploy all that He has committed into your hands, you will not be found wanting in Jesus’ Name.

_Prayer Point_
Father, by Your mercy, let me not receive condemnation on the day of reward.

_BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:_
John 6,
Isaiah 34:15-36:3.

Open Heavens Devotional.
Saturday 11th February, 2017.
*SHOWERS OF BLESSINGS*

_HYMN 10: THERE SHALL BE SHOWER OF BLESSING._
1. There shall be showers of blessing:
This is the promise of love;
There shall be seasons refreshing,
Sent from the Savior above.

[Chorus]
Showers of blessing,
Showers of blessing we need:
Mercy drops ‘round us are falling,
But for the showers we plead.

2. There shall be showers of blessing--
Precious reviving again;
Over the hills and the valleys,
Sound of abundance of rain.
[Chorus]

3. There shall be showers of blessing:
Send them upon us, O Lord;
Grant to us now a refreshing;
Come, and now honor Thy Word.
[Chorus]

4. There shall be showers of blessing:
Oh, that today they might fall,
Now as to God we're confessing,
Now as on Jesus we call!
[Chorus]

_Memorise_
And I will make them and the places round about my hill a blessing; and I will cause the shower to come down in his season; there shall be showers of blessing. Ezekiel 34:26

_READ: JOEL 2:21-27._
21 Fear not, O land; be glad and rejoice: for the Lord will do great things.
22 Be not afraid, ye beasts of the field: for the pastures of the wilderness do spring, for the tree beareth her fruit, the fig tree and the vine do yield their strength.
23 Be glad then, ye children of Zion, and rejoice in the Lord your God: for he hath given you the former rain moderately, and he will cause to come down for you the rain, the former rain, and the latter rain in the first month.
24 And the floors shall be full of wheat, and the vats shall overflow with wine and oil.
25 And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten, the cankerworm, and the caterpiller, and the palmerworm, my great army which I sent among you.
26 And ye shall eat in plenty, and be satisfied, and praise the name of the Lord your God, that hath dealt wondrously with you: and my people shall never be ashamed.
27 And ye shall know that I am in the midst of Israel, and that I am the Lord your God, and none else: and my people shall never be ashamed.

_Message_
When God created the world, He put some natural principles in place which can guarantee a measure of blessing. However, no blessing can stand the test of time apart from those made accessible by the Almighty God. The psalmist understood this truth, and hence he declared that only the Ultimate Shepherd can take you to green pastures (Psalm 23:2). Only the blessings of the Almighty God can give you the kind of peace that knows no trouble. When God pours His showers of blessings upon your life, the door of blessings will forever remain opened to you. The shower of blessings from the Lord is the starting point of a life of tremendous progress. You will suddenly realise that what others are finding difficult to achieve becomes very easy for you. You will also discover that what others complain about becomes what you rejoice over. The wind of the Holy Spirit is the source of God’s blessings. On the day of Pentecost, when the wind of the Holy Spirit blew, the church suddenly grew by 3000 members (Acts 2:1-41). When the Lord decides to pour His blessings in your direction: the debtor of yesterday becomes a lender to nations today, the negative medical report of yesterday becomes the testimony of today, and the sack letter of yesterday becomes the promotion letter of today. A while ago, one of my sons was sacked from his place of work without any reason. As he worshipped with us at our monthly Holy Ghost Service, there was a word of knowledge sent from God saying that someone was going through some trouble but that those responsible for this trouble would die. The following week, word came to him that his father had passed on. On the actual day of his father's burial, he received a letter from the organisation that sacked him, asking him to return, and that he had been promoted. When the showers of blessings come upon your life, whatever the enemies have concluded concerning you becomes invalid by the powers of the spoken word from God. I speak to the life of someone reading this devotional that your time of weeping has come to an end in Jesus’ Name.

Those who truly love God are always carriers of His blessings. Do everything possible to stay in God. Stick with Him all of your days. Let Him continue to direct you to where your life can remain fresh. Let His word fill your heart in every situation. Never let go of God, and you will practically see Him taking you out the shallow waters into showers of blessings. Are you experiencing dryness in your spiritual life, finances, marriage, career, business or ministry? God's showers of blessings will begin to flow in your direction in Jesus' Name.

_PRAYER Point:_
Father, Grant me a blessing that will settle my finances for life.

_BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:_
John 7-8
Isaiah 36:4-20.

Open Heavens Devotional.
Monday 13th February, 2017.
*THE GOD OF ALL IMPOSSIBILITIES*

*HYMN 4: THROUGH THE LOVE OF GOD OUR SAVIOUR.*
1 Through the love of God our Saviour,
all will be well.
Free and changeless is his favour,
all, all is well.
Precious is the blood that healed us,
perfect is the grace that sealed us,
strong the hand stretched forth to shield us,
all must be well.

2 Though we pass through tribulation,
all will be well.
Ours is such a full salvation,
all, all is well.
Happy, still in God confiding,
fruitful, if in Christ abiding,
holy, through the Spirit’s guiding,
all must be well.

3 We expect a bright tomorrow,
all will be well.
Faith can sing through days of sorrow,
‘All, all is well.’
On our Father’s love relying,
Jesus every need supplying,
in our living, in our dying,
all must be well.

_Memorise:_
For with God nothing shall be impossible.
- Luke 1:37.

_Read: Genesis 18:1-15 (King James Version)_
1 And the Lord appeared unto him in the plains of Mamre: and he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day;
2 And he lift up his eyes and looked, and, lo, three men stood by him: and when he saw them, he ran to meet them from the tent door, and bowed himself toward the ground,
3 And said, My Lord, if now I have found favour in thy sight, pass not away, I pray thee, from thy servant:
4 Let a little water, I pray you, be fetched, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree:
5 And I will fetch a morsel of bread, and comfort ye your hearts; after that ye shall pass on: for therefore are ye come to your servant. And they said, So do, as thou hast said.
6 And Abraham hastened into the tent unto Sarah, and said, Make ready quickly three measures of fine meal, knead it, and make cakes upon the hearth.
7 And Abraham ran unto the herd, and fetcht a calf tender and good, and gave it unto a young man; and he hasted to dress it.
8 And he took butter, and milk, and the calf which he had dressed, and set it before them; and he stood by them under the tree, and they did eat.
9 And they said unto him, Where is Sarah thy wife? And he said, Behold, in the tent.
10 And he said, I will certainly return unto thee according to the time of life; and, lo, Sarah thy wife shall have a son. And Sarah heard it in the tent door, which was behind him.
11 Now Abraham and Sarah were old and well stricken in age; and it ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women.
12 Therefore Sarah laughed within herself, saying, After I am waxed old shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also?
13 And the Lord said unto Abraham, Wherefore did Sarah laugh, saying, Shall I of a surety bear a child, which am old?
14 Is any thing too hard for the Lord? At the time appointed I will return unto thee, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son.
15 Then Sarah denied, saying, I laughed not; for she was afraid. And he said, Nay; but thou didst laugh.

_Message_
The awesomeness of God is made manifest in situations that are tagged impossible. Our God likes to get involved in such cases so that they serve as reference points to those who have doubts in their hearts about Him. What is that impossible situation you are confronted with? God can use it to demonstrate to the world that there is no situation, no matter how bad, that He cannot reverse. In today’s Bible reading, the three men who came on a visit to Abraham and Sarah were on a mission to remind them that God is a God of plan and purpose. Have you been waiting a long time for that precious promise of God to come to pass? I have good news for you: your season of divine visitation has come in Jesus’ Name. Abraham and Sarah had given up and were no longer optimistic about the promise of a child to them. Sarah could not help laughing when she heard that time and life would be restored to her, because she knew her age and the deadness of her womb. Her scepticism made the Lord ask “Is anything too hard for the Lord?” Are you looking at the doctor’s professional report concerning your case? I want to let you know that the report of the Lord will override every negative report concerning you in Jesus’ Name.

Lazarus was dead and was already buried for four days (John 11:39). Nobody wanted to get close to his tomb because he was already stinking; yet the Lord went to that hopeless situation and reversed the irreversible.

The Lord decided to take His time before going to Mary and Martha, in order to convince the whole world that even though people may have given up on you, He is always there to demonstrate to them that they are not your creator. There is nothing that the redemption paid for by Christ cannot take care of. Are you struggling with poverty, or are you getting in and out of hospital beds? Have you been labelled a permanent failure or been told nothing good can come out of your life? Know that there is a God in heaven who works wonders among men. If He sees that your natural season is over, He then reminds the world that “He changes times and seasons” (Daniel 2:21a). If He realises there are powerful forces contenting with your life, He lets them know that “He removeth kings, and setteth up kings” (Daniel 2:21b). If the world says you are no longer relevant in the scheme of things, He tells them that “He giveth wisdom to the wise and knowledge to them that know understanding” (Daniel 2:21c). With these assurances, you should thank God and praise Him all your life, knowing that your desires will come to pass. There shall be expedited reversal of every negative circumstance in your life today in Jesus’ Name.

_Key Point_
There is no impossibility with God.

_Bible In One Year:_
John 11, Isaiah 37:14-27.

Open Heavens Devotional.
Tuesday 14th February, 2017.
*PRACTICAL SALVATION.*

_HYMN 9: ON THE HILL AWAY._
1. On a hill far away stood an old rugged cross,
the emblem of suffering and shame;
and I love that old cross where the dearest and best
for a world of lost sinners was slain.

_Refrain:
So I'll cherish the old rugged cross,
till my trophies at last I lay down;
I will cling to the old rugged cross,
and exchange it some day for a crown._

2. O that old rugged cross, so despised by the world,
has a wondrous attraction for me;
for the dear Lamb of God left his glory above
to bear it to dark Calvary.
Refrain

3. In that old rugged cross, stained with blood so divine,
A wondrous beauty I see,
for 'twas on that old cross Jesus suffered and died,
to pardon and sanctify me.
Refrain

4. To the old rugged cross I will ever be true;
its shame and reproach gladly bear;
then he'll call me some day to my home far away,
where his glory forever I'll share.
Refrain

_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: Luke 3:3-14 (KJV)_
3 And he came into all the country about Jordan, preaching the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins;
4 As it is written in the book of the words of Esaias the prophet, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.
5 Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be brought low; and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways shall be made smooth;
6 And all flesh shall see the salvation of God.
7 Then said he to the multitude that came forth to be baptized of him, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?
8 Bring forth therefore fruits worthy of repentance, and begin not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, That God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham.
9 And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: every tree therefore which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.
10 And the people asked him, saying, What shall we do then?
11 He answereth and saith unto them, He that hath two coats, let him impart to him that hath none; and he that hath meat, let him do likewise.
12 Then came also publicans to be baptized, and said unto him, Master, what shall we do?
13 And he said unto them, Exact no more than that which is appointed you.
14 And the soldiers likewise demanded of him, saying, And what shall we do? And he said unto them, Do violence to no man, neither accuse any falsely; and be content with your wages.

_Message_
In today’s Bible reading, we gain insight into what it means practically to be saved. To be saved means to repent from your dead works and to be alive unto Christ in righteousness. Practical salvation is making your ways right with God without any reservation. When you are genuinely saved, everyone around you will see it. It cannot be hidden because you will no longer be comfortable in the midst of your sinful former friends. Practical salvation is impacting the lives around you by demonstrating the love of Christ through giving. I always tell people that whatever you give away may leave your hands but it will never leave your life. There is no other way to show the world the true nature of Christ without identifying with the challenges of people. Jesus was compassionate towards all those He met who were in need. How can you claim to be a Christian when you live in affluence but do not bother about what happens to the man beside you?

_“And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.”_
Ephesians 4:24

Practical salvation involves putting off our old Adamic nature and manifesting the divine nature of Christ. We receive this divine nature, referred to as the new man, through repentance from our old ways and having faith in Christ’s work of salvation. The character of this new man says “Let him that stole steal no more” (Ephesians 4:28). It also uproots every root of bitterness, anger, wrath, envy, hatred and the likes out of your life.

When you put on the new man, you will be ready to put right all that have gone wrong in your life, through the grace of the Almighty God. If something belonging to your organisation or the government has been taken by you without being given, practical salvation demands that you return it. If you have been working with a forged certificate and you now say you are born again, you have to let go of this pretence and amend your ways. Several years ago, before I met the Lord, I was a school teacher and I needed to take care of one of my visitors. This need made me take a bed from the school dormitory. However, after my visitor left, I still held on to the bed. Seven years after this happened, I gave my life to Christ and I noticed that this bed was still in my house. I lost my peace immediately because there was a new spirit in me. To practically demonstrate my salvation, I had to pay double for the bed because the Jesus living in me would not allow me return a used bed after seven years of holding unto it.

_Key Point_
When you are saved, your neighbours will know.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
John 12-13
Isaiah 37:28-38:3.

Open Heavens Devotional.
Thursday 16th February, 2017.
_*THE GOD OF INCREASE*_

_HYMN 10: THERE SHALL BE SHOWER OF BLESSING._
1. There shall be showers of blessing:
This is the promise of love;
There shall be seasons refreshing,
Sent from the Savior above.

_[Chorus]
Showers of blessing,
Showers of blessing we need:
Mercy drops ‘round us are falling,
But for the showers we plead._

2. There shall be showers of blessing--
Precious reviving again;
Over the hills and the valleys,
Sound of abundance of rain.
[Chorus]

3. There shall be showers of blessing:
Send them upon us, O Lord;
Grant to us now a refreshing;
Come, and now honor Thy Word.
[Chorus]

4. There shall be showers of blessing:
Oh, that today they might fall,
Now as to God we're confessing,
Now as on Jesus we call!
[Chorus]

_Memorise_
Though thy beginning was small, yet thy latter and should greatly increase.
-Job 8:7.

_Read: Genesis 1:26-28 (KJV)._
26 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.
27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.
28 And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.

_Message_
In the beginning, although the Almighty God had the vision of man filling the whole earth, He decided to actualise it through the law of increase. It is amazing that the whole world came forth from one man and woman. Our God is a God of increase. If you want anything that will increase in life, you have to source for it from the Almighty God, and use His approach and not that of the world to actualise it. Whatever is from the Lord will always stand the test of time. If God gives you an idea, He expects it to bring increase to your life. If God gives you a blessing, He also expects it to increase. When Adam knew his wife, a seed was planted in her which became a tree (Genesis 4:1). This is the more reason why you need to draw close to God so that He can sow a seed in your life that will become a reference point to generations yet unborn. If you sow to your flesh, you will reap destruction, but if you sow to the Holy Spirit, your increase will be till eternity (Galatians 6:. The fact that God wants you to increase does not mean you can do things that contravene His commandments to get his increase. The fact that God wants increase does not mean He allows polygamy. God has never been in a hurry to populate the earth, therefore His design is one man, one wife. Sex with anyone other than your spouse means you are throwing your most precious seed into the wrong soil. An adulterer is a person in bondage! Such a person lacks understanding of the fact that he or she is sowing seeds that only lead to poverty, destruction and eventual shame. There are some men whose children are out of school due to non-payment of fees, and yet they are sowing their seed into the lives of concubines. Such men are already on the path of destruction unless they come to the saving grace of Jesus. If you are involved in this, you better ask God for mercy before it is too late.

God is the One who gives increase after a seed has been sown; therefore we must always remember to give thanks to Him for all the successes He brings our way (1 Corinthians 3:6). If you are excelling in your chosen field, give God the glory. If things are working out for you in your career, give Him the glory. While some people grow rapidly in the things of God, some do not. One variable that determines this is the level of hunger in their hearts. There must always be a hunger in your heart to be better than what you are now. There is a better you in the mind of God, and so, refuse to remain small. Continue to develop yourself by acquiring relevant skills. Increase your knowledge base so that your earning capacity can also increase. If things have not been working out in your life, do a self-appraisal. In other words, check yourself. Soak yourself in God’s word and occupy your mind with passages of Scripture that can address your area of stagnation. You will increase in Jesus’ Name.

_Prayer Point_
Father, let my increase begin today.

_BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:_
John 16:17 Isaiah 38:20-40:5.

Open Heavens Devotional.
Friday 17th February, 2017.
*ACCEPTABLE SERVICE*

_HYMN 14: ONWARD CHRISTIAN SOLDIERS._
1 Onward, Christian soldiers,
marching as to war,
With the cross of Jesus
going on before!
Christ, the royal Master,
leads against the foe;
Forward into battle,
see his banner go!

Refrain:
Onward, Christian soldiers,
marching as to war,
With the cross of Jesus
going on before!

2 At the sign of triumph
Satan's host doth flee;
On, then, Christian soldiers,
on to victory!
Hell's foundations quiver
at the shout of praise;
Brothers, lift your voices,
loud your anthems raise!
[Refrain]

3 Like a mighty army
moves the church of God;
Brothers, we are treading
where the saints have trod;
We are not divided;
all one body we,
One in hope and doctrine,
one in charity.
[Refrain]

4 Onward, then, ye people,
join our happy throng,
Blend with ours your voices
in the triumph song;
Glory, laud, and honor,
unto Christ the King;
This thro' countless ages
men and angels sing.
[Refrain]

_Memorise_
Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.
- James 1:27.

_Read: Romans 12:1-2._
1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

_Message_
In these end times, the Lord is looking for those who are ready to consecrate themselves to His use. If you are ready to partner with God in His service, you can be sure that your reward will not only be great on earth but also in heaven. However, for you to be a vessel unto honour in the service of the Lord, you must be ready to admit your insignificance before Him (Isaiah 40:17). You must also be ready to follow the Lord all the way, cheerfully and heartily. You should see it as a great honour for God to count you worthy of being called into the service of His kingdom. Furthermore, God is holy, and so, for you to be a vessel in His service, you must also be holy in thought, character and conduct. Those who want to continue in sin and also live a hypocritical lifestyle cannot be blessed in God’s service. You must surrender your life to Christ genuinely. This is a prerequisite in offering acceptable service to the Lord. Any defiled or polluted person cannot behold the glory of God’s holiness. In the scriptures, those who offered acceptable service, such as Enoch, Daniel, Elijah and Job, made up their minds that they would not allow anything to pollute their lives. Note however that you cannot all by yourself keep yourself from the vanities of this world; neither can you live a holy life through your morality. You can only live a holy and acceptable life by yielding to the grace of God. God’s grace enables us to offer acceptable service before Him. Expounding on this grace, Titus 2:11-12 says,
_“For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world”_.

Although there are several winds of false doctrine blowing across the world today, the Lord expects us to continue in the pure and undiluted word of God (2 Peter 3:16-18). This is the anchor that keeps us from being tossed about (Hebrews 6:18-19). This undefiled word of God will help us keep that which is committed into our hands as we offer our service to God in these last days. We must be watchful so that our works will not be adjudged as imperfect before the throne of God. In the Body of Christ today, many people serve God amiss. They are working, but not asking themselves if their labour follows the due order of heaven (1 Chronicles 15:13). If you fail to assess the methods you are using to achieve the mandate of the Commission, you will be shocked at the judgement seat of Christ (2 Corinthians 5:10, 1 Corinthians 3:13-15). What are the motives behind what you do in Church? What attitude do you display when your pastor is not there to watch over you? How are you utilizing the resources entrusted to your care?

_Action Point_
Access your service in God’s Kingdom. Does it follow God’s pattern?

_BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:_
John 18:19
Isaiah 40:6-23.

Open Heavens Devotional.
Saturday 18th February, 2017.
FAITH IN PRACTICE.

HYMN 1: MY FAITH LOOKS UP TO THEE.
1. My faith looks up to Thee,
Thou Lamb of Calvary,
Savior Divine;
Now hear me while I pray;
Take all my guilt away;
Oh, let me from this day
Be wholly Thine.

2. May Thy rich grace impart
Strength to my fainting heart,
My zeal inspire;
As Thou hast died for me,
Oh, may my love to Thee
Pure, warm, and changeless be,
A living fire.

3. While life’s dark maze I tread,
And griefs around me spread,
Be Thou my Guide;
Bid darkness turn to day,
Wipe sorrow’s tears away,
Nor let me ever stray
From Thee aside.

4. When life's swift race is run,
Death's cold work almost done,
Be near to me.
Blest Saviour, then, in love
Fear and distrust remove.
O bear me safe above,
Redeemed and free!

Memorise
For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.
- James 2:26.

Read: James 2:14-26.
14 What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him?
15 If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food,
16 And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit?
17 Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.
18 Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.
19 Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.
20 But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?
21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar?
22 Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect?
23 And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God.
24 Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.
25 Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way?
26 For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.

Message
One common error in Christendom today is to think that it is scriptural to confess your way to success without backing up such confessions with works. Faith in practice is actually the opposite of this. It is not just about confessing scriptures, but about acting it out when confronted with real life circumstances and situations. Faith in practice is what produces the miracle-working power of God. In contrast of faith, unbelief upsets God and we must all run away from it. The children of Israel could not enter into the Promised Land because of unbelief (Hebrews 3:19). In Mark 2:1-12, a paralytic man was brought before Jesus by four men who broke the roof of a house to get him there. This was faith in practice. They were practically saying to all the forces and situations surrounding this man’s life that they were ready to get injured while climbing and nothing would stop them. They were also ready to take up the financial burden of damaging and repairing the roof of a house that was not theirs. They did all this because they knew that the challenges facing them were nothing when compared with the blessedness of having their paralytic friend receive his miracle. There are people who have many different versions of the Bible in their homes but do not practice the faith they read in it. Some even possess a PhD in the study of the Bible but still have no faith. This is because they read and study it, but they don’t apply its content to their lives.

Some years back, we went to Haiti to hold a city-wide crusade, and we were blessed to have a live broadcast of it on radio. There was a man just lying on a bed in his house who accidentally tuned his radio to the station airing our programme. In the course of preaching, the Lord said to me that there was someone within the reach of my voice who was impotent and that He was healing him right away. I relayed this message as I was told. When this man heard it, he said to himself, ''How did this Pastor know that I am impotent even though He cannot see me?'' He immediately checked himself and realised he had been completely healed. He then left all he was doing, found his way to the crusade ground and surrendered his life to Jesus. If only you can believe and act on what God says, you also will share your own testimony in Jesus’ Name. Who are the Goliaths harassing you? Consider that Goliath came to the battle with a sword, spear and shield, while David came in the Name of the Lord of hosts (1 Samuel 17:45). Although David challenged Goliath with his mouth, he did not stop there. He picked up five smooth stones, not just one (1 Samuel 17:40). Even though one stone was enough to bring down Goliath, David did not take chances. That is faith in practice. I decree that every Goliath that is standing between you and your miracles shall be brought down completely in Jesus’ Name.

Key Point
Faith is acting on the word of God.

Bible In One Year:
John 20:21
Isaiah 40:24-41:7.

Open Heavens Devotional.
Sunday 19th February, 2017.
GOD HAS SUBSTITUTES.

HYMN 14.
1. Onward, Christian soldiers,
marching as to war,
With the cross of Jesus
going on before!
Christ, the royal Master,
leads against the foe;
Forward into battle,
see his banner go!

_Refrain:
Onward, Christian soldiers,
marching as to war,
With the cross of Jesus
going on before!_

2. At the sign of triumph
Satan's host doth flee;
On, then, Christian soldiers,
on to victory!
Hell's foundations quiver
at the shout of praise;
Brothers, lift your voices,
loud your anthems raise! [Refrain]

3. Like a mighty army
moves the church of God;
Brothers, we are treading
where the saints have trod;
We are not divided;
all one body we,
One in hope and doctrine,
one in charity. [Refrain]

4. Onward, then, ye people,
join our happy throng,
Blend with ours your voices
in the triumph song;
Glory, laud, and honor,
unto Christ the King;
This thro' countless ages
men and angels sing. [Refrain]

Memorise
For it is written in the book of Psalms, Let his habitation be desolate, and let no man dwell therein: and his bishoprick let another take.
- Acts 1:20.

READ: 1 Samuel 15:16 - 16:1.
16 Then Samuel said unto Saul, Stay, and I will tell thee what the Lord hath said to me this night. And he said unto him, Say on.

1 And the Lord said unto Samuel, How long wilt thou mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Israel? fill thine horn with oil, and go, I will send thee to Jesse the Bethlehemite: for I have provided me a king among his sons.

Message
One truth that everyone born of God must have at the back of their minds is that God has substitutes. He can therefore never be held to ransom by anyone. Whenever God decides to use a person, if that fellow does not yield to God at the time of His requisition, God will move on to use another person to fulfil His purpose. More often than not, such substitutes are better than the original recipients of God’s mandate. Such was the case with King Saul.

"And Samuel said unto him, the LORD hath rent the kingdom of Israel from thee this day, and hath given it to a neighbour of thine, that is better than thou."
1 Samuel 15:28.

When a man feels too big to obey God’s instruction, he is not fit for God’s use. In the family of the works of the flesh, pride, stubbornness and rebellion are kinsmen, with witchcraft as their first cousin (Galatians 5:19-21). The Lord through Samuel reminded King Saul that there was nothing special about him before He made him king over Israel. King Saul himself did not see himself as qualified, yet God’s grace preferred him, despite the fact that he came from the least of the tribes of Israel ( 1 Samuel 9:21). This is the reason why whosoever God decides to use should not allow himself or herself get carried away by the glamour of the office he or she is occupying. The fellow should always keep in mind where he or she is coming from and what he or she used to be. God does not use the qualified; rather, He qualifies the fellow He wants to use.

When King Saul began to feel too big to obey the Lord’s commandment, he was replaced with a ready-made substitute, whom the Lord declared to be better than King Saul. My prayer for you is that you will not be replaced in the scheme of things in God’s kingdom in Jesus’ Name. Beloved, we should know that God has substitutes that can readily replace us if we fail to yield to His instructions. Never see yourself as being indispensable before God. Take heed to what the Lord Jesus Christ said concerning this in Matthew 3:9

"And think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham."

Prayer Point
Father, please help me to overcome anything I am doing now that may eventually make You find a substitute for me in Your Kingdom. Please don’t replace me with anyone or anything.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR
GENESIS 1 - 2
ISAIAH 41:8-20.

Open Heavens Devotional.
Monday 20th February, 2017.
*PERILOUS TIMES ARE HERE!*

HYMN 13 : WONDERFUL STORY OF LOVE.
1. Wonderful story of love;
Tell it to me again;
Wonderful story of love;
Wake the immortal strain!
Angels with rapture announce it,
Shepherds with wonder receive it;
Sinner, oh, won’t you believe it?
Wonderful story of love.

Refrain:
Wonderful! Wonderful!
Wonderful, wonderful story of love.

2. Wonderful story of love;
Though you are far away;
Wonderful story of love;
Still He doth call today;
Calling from Calvary’s mountain,
Down from the crystal-bright fountain,
E’en from the dawn of creation,
Wonderful story of love. Refrain

3. Wonderful story of love;
Jesus provides a rest;
Wonderful story of love;
For all the pure and blest,
Rest in those mansions above us,
With those who’ve gone on before us,
Singing the rapturous chorus,
Wonderful story of love. Refrain

_Memorise_
Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;
- 1 Timothy 4:1.

Read: 2 Timothy 3:1-5 (KJV).
1 This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.
2 For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,
3 Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,
4 Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;
5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.

Message
With all that we see and hear happening in different parts of the world today, it is no longer news that we are already in perilous times. This is why it is very urgent that we maximise the time that we have left in propagating the gospel of the Lord to those who are yet to know Him. We should carefully study the words of Ephesians 5:14-16 and obey its instructions. In these verses of Scripture, the Holy Spirit says,

_“Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light. See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.”_

In this modern age, where people are ever learning but never able to come to the knowledge of the truth, believers must watch against satanic wiles and temptations.

We must avoid all forms of false doctrine that abound in churches today. Let us remain in the simple gospel of Jesus which is capable of seeing us through to the very end. There are false teachers rising up every day with different kinds of teachings and beliefs, using their influence to spread erroneous doctrines to unsuspecting believers. This is why you need to be selective of where you go and who you listen to. Those who go to church today only get excited when they are told what they want to hear. The Holy Spirit forewarned us of this in 2 Timothy 4:3:

_“For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers having itching ears.”_

Let us therefore run with the message of the gospel into every part of the world; reminding everyone that those who are not on the Lord’s side on the last day will be eternally destroyed. Let us do the work of an evangelist, and go after those people who have strayed from the straight and narrow way. Let us bring back those sheep which are carelessly grazing on their fields, away from the presence of their Shepherd. These are those who started well but have become consumed by the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches. The signs of the second coming of Christ are daily being fulfilled before our eyes. In order not to be caught unawares, you must prepare yourself daily through self examination. The enemy of your soul is out there seeking how to devour you; don’t allow him to truncate your destiny. Ensure that you make no provision for the flesh, and put out all the works of darkness around you.
Be prepared for His second coming!

Prayer Point
Father, fill me with the consciousness of the second coming of Christ at all times.

Bible In One Year:
Genesis 3-5
Isaiah 41:21-42:9.

Thank you very much taking time to do this. God will give us the grace not to be cast away on the last day. Amen

Open Heavens Devotional.
Tuesday 21st February, 2017.
*BENEFITS OF THANKSGIVING.*

_HYMN 10: THERE SHALL BE SHOWER OF BLESSING_
1. There shall be showers of blessing:
This is the promise of love;
There shall be seasons refreshing,
Sent from the Savior above.

_[Chorus]_
_Showers of blessing,
Showers of blessing we need:
Mercy drops ‘round us are falling,
But for the showers we plead._

2. There shall be showers of blessing:
Precious reviving again;
Over the hills and the valleys,
Sound of abundance of rain.
[Chorus]

3. There shall be showers of blessing:
Send them upon us, O Lord;
Grant to us now a refreshing;
Come, and now honor Thy Word.
[Chorus]

4. There shall be showers of blessing
Oh, that today they might fall,
Now as to God we're confessing,
Now as on Jesus we call!
[Chorus]

_Memorise_
Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name. Psalm 103:1.

_Read: Psalm 50:14-15._
14 Offer unto God thanksgiving; and pay thy vows unto the most High:
15 And call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me.

_Message_
Without any iota of doubt, the Lord has been so good to us. He has never ceased to be faithful and kind. If it had not been for the Lord on our side, the devil would have destroyed us. We are who we are in Christ because of the goodness of God. For these reasons and many more, we need to make thanksgiving our lifestyle. Thanksgiving is an indispensable activity for every child of God. For our lives to experience the blessings of the Lord on a continuous basis, we need to thank Him. I sometimes marvel when I see people complain about their situation. Before complaining about your situation, take a critical look at another man’s situation and you will realise that you have enjoyed the goodness of the Lord. A lifestyle of thanksgiving can make a lot of difference in our lives within a short time. Through thanksgiving, lost glory can be restored, as was the case with King Nebuchadnezzar (Daniel 4:34-37). When you adore and reverence the Almighty God, when you acknowledge Him as the source of your wealth and greatness, and see all you have achieved as being made possible by His hand, then God will be committed to preserving all He has given you.

Thanksgiving is the door that ushers you into God’s blessings. For His greatness, goodness and wonderful works to the children of men, we must thank Him. The only reason why many of us are not on the street begging is because He is our Great Provider. We walk with our shoulders high because He is our Defence and Deliverer. He remains our Rock and source of strength in every situation. Wherever we gather together as a congregation, I tell my children to praise and thank God wholeheartedly. Thanksgiving is not something you do in a hurry because God also takes His time as He blesses us with unprecedented miracles. There are blessings reserved for those who thank the Lord. He will always launch them to the realm of unimaginable favour.
Our thanksgiving will only be acceptable to God if it comes from a heart of worship. For you to worship God in truth, you must live a holy life. Believers will always win the battles of life, as long as there is no impediment to their worship of God. We must be able to lift up clean hands and a pure heart to our Maker at all times (Psalm 24:3-4, Philippians 4:6). We must be honest and upright in character and reflect the nature of God in our dealings. Keep your heart pure so that your joy can be full. With a pure heart, you can make your request known to God and there will be instant response from the throne of grace.

_Key Point_
Those who come before God with thanksgiving can never live by the mercy of men.

_BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:_
Genesis 6-8
Isaiah 42:10-25.

Open Heavens Devotional.
Wednesday 22nd February, 2017.
*VICTORY THROUGH PRAISE.*

*HYMN 4: THROUGH THE LOVE OF GOD OUR SAVIOUR.*
1. Through the love of God our Saviour,
_All will be well._
Free and changeless is His favour,
_All, all is well._
Precious is the blood that healed us,
Perfect is the grace that sealed us,
Strong the hand stretched forth to shield us,
_All must be well._

2. Though we pass through tribulation,
_All will be well._
Ours is such a full salvation,
_All, all is well._
Happy, still in God confiding,
Fruitful, if in Christ abiding,
Holy, through the Spirit’s guiding,
_All must be well._

3. We expect a bright tomorrow,
_All will be well._
Faith can sing through days of sorrow,
_'All, all is well.'_
On our Father’s love relying,
Jesus every need supplying,
In our living, in our dying,
_All must be well._

_Memorise_
For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;
- 2 Corinthians 10:4.

_Read: 2 Chronicles 20:21-26._
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.
24 And when Judah came toward the watch tower in the wilderness, they looked unto the multitude, and, behold, they were dead bodies fallen to the earth, and none escaped.
25 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.
26 And on the fourth day they assembled themselves in the valley of Berachah; for there they blessed the Lord: therefore the name of the same place was called, The valley of Berachah, unto this day.

_Message_
The easiest way to access victory in the kingdom of God is through praise. Each time we praise the Name of the Lord, great and marvellous things are bound to happen. If you are a believer and you do not yet know the essence of praise, you are missing a lot of blessings, opportunities and privileges. Our God is all-powerful, all-knowing and is the Almighty. The moment we are committed to the realm of praise, things begin to happen at His command. There are people who have been knocking on certain doors of opportunities before now, but to no avail. Why don’t you try praise? You will be surprised at how fast those doors will open. The fact that you are praising the One that is higher than the highest should give you the assurance that your case is settled. Praise to God is an indication of absolute trust in Him. Those who put their confidence in God will always praise Him until they receive their victory, and even after receiving their victory, they still praise Him. It is the desire of the Almighty God that all His children should move from one level of victory to the other. When the people of God praise Him, infirmities, yokes, bondage, barrenness and all the works of the devil are destroyed. In the realm of praise, every limitation gives way.
In the battle of life, some are victors while some are victims. I decree into your life that you will continue to enjoy the victory of the Lord in Jesus’ Name. Victors know how to move God into action. God is looking for people who can move Him through their praise. Such people will enjoy His mercy instead of receiving His judgement. Praise is the most powerful instrument we can use to move God. The whole of creation was designed to praise God (Psalm 150:5, Psalm 148). The greatest assignment of angels in Heaven is praising God (Revelations 4:8-9, Psalm 148:2). When we get to heaven, our assignment will be to keep praising God (Revelations 7:14-15, Psalm 145:2). Praise has greater impact whenever we come together to offer it to God, because His throne is set wherever His people are praising Him (Psalm 22:3).

When you bow before God in praise, you are showing that He alone is the Most High. Jehoshaphat enjoyed the victory of the Lord without fighting a battle! This is what praise can do. While the enemies were gathering their mercenaries and weapons of war against Judah, the people of God gathered momentum for praise. They believed in the victory of the Lord by faith, and all their enemies were smitten before them. From today, as you praise the Lord, He will stand in your place and take over every battle of your life, and your victory shall be total in Jesus’ Name.

_Prayer Point_
Father, let Your praise never cease from my lips.

_Bible In One Year:_
Genesis 9-11;
Isaiah 43:1-15.

Open Heavens Devotional.
Thursday 23rd February, 2017.
*MY REDEEMER LIVES.*

*HYMN 4: THROUGH THE LOVE OF GOD OUR SAVIOUR.*
1. Through the love of God our Saviour,
_All will be well._
Free and changeless is His favour,
_All, all is well._
Precious is the blood that healed us,
Perfect is the grace that sealed us,
Strong the hand stretched forth to shield us,
_All must be well._

2. Though we pass through tribulation,
_All will be well._
Ours is such a full salvation,
_All, all is well._
Happy, still in God confiding,
Fruitful, if in Christ abiding,
Holy, through the Spirit’s guiding,
_All must be well._

3. We expect a bright tomorrow,
_All will be well._
Faith can sing through days of sorrow,
_'All, all is well.'_
On our Father’s love relying,
Jesus every need supplying,
In our living, in our dying,
_All must be well._

Memorise
Yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more; but ye see me: because I live, ye shall live also.
- John 14:19.

Read: Mark 16:1-6.
1 And when the sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, had bought sweet spices, that they might come and anoint him.
2 And very early in the morning the first day of the week, they came unto the sepulchre at the rising of the sun.
3 And they said among themselves, Who shall roll us away the stone from the door of the sepulchre?
4 And when they looked, they saw that the stone was rolled away: for it was very great.
5 And entering into the sepulchre, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, clothed in a long white garment; and they were affrighted.
6 And he saith unto them, Be not affrighted: Ye seek Jesus of Nazareth, which was crucified: he is risen; he is not here: behold the place where they laid him.

Message
Every time I ponder on the glory awaiting all those who make it to Heaven, I feel so excited. It is so magnificent that the ordinary human heart cannot fathom it. If you will partake of this glory, you must not be discouraged in your walk of faith with God. You must have the assurance in your heart that the Lord Jesus Christ, who is your Redeemer, is alive, and because He is alive, your faith is not in vain (1 Corinthians 15:14 & 20). There are some who are at the point of giving up their faith. They are no longer excited about their confession of faith in Jesus Christ. Some are fainting in their spirit, and their level of commitment has waned. If you are in such situation, the Holy Spirit in Hebrew 10:38-39 says this to you:
"Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him. But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul."

The purpose of discouragement is to make you backslide. It is aimed at stopping the good things you started. Some of the activities of the Pharisees were aimed at discouraging the followers of Jesus, but their plots failed. Although they had Him crucified, some of His followers still followed Him to the very end. How amazing it was for them when they realised that Jesus had risen from the dead! The place where they laid His body was empty, and it remains so till today! I prophecy into your life that the very spot where the enemy hoped you will remain shall become empty!

I declare to you that there is power in the resurrection of Jesus. Every arrow of discouragement shot at you to make you faint shall instead birth a spirit of boldness in you in Jesus’ Name. Without faith, it is impossible to please God. You need to have faith in Jesus, the Redeemer of mankind. He lives forever more and no situation is beyond Him. Every delay you have experienced is just to make your testimony more glorious. You need to persist in the place of prayer. As long as you are still awaiting your testimony, don’t stop confessing the promises of God. Take practical steps to actualise God’s plan and purpose for your life. The women kept going to the tomb because there was an assurance in their spirit that their efforts would not be wasted. May be you have tried all you can, and yet there remains a Goliath in your life. Because your Redeemer lives, that problem will not overcome you. Because your Redeemer lives, that sickness will come to an end. Problems respond to either the call of faith or doubt. Make sure all your challenges hear the call of faith from you saying: "because He lives, I can face tomorrow; my tomorrow shall be alright whether the devil likes it or not." It shall be so in Jesus’ Name.

Action Point:
Make this confession of faith: Lord Jesus, become You live, I shall also live and not die.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
Genesis 12-15
Isaiah 43:16-44:8.

Open Heavens Devotional.
Friday 24th February, 2017.
*CHILDREN OF GOD.*

_HYMN 7: O JESUS, I HAVE PROMISED._
1. O Jesus, I have promised,
To serve Thee to the end;
Be Thou forever near me,
My Master and my Friend;
I shall not fear the battle
If Thou art by my side,
Nor wander from the pathway
If Thou wilt be my Guide.

2. Oh, let me hear Thee speaking,
In accents clear and still,
I dare not trust my judgment:
Thy way shall be my will;
Oh, speak to reassure me,
To hasten or control;
Oh, speak, and make me listen,
Thou Guardian of my soul.

3. O Jesus, Thou hast promised
To all who follow Thee
That where Thou art in glory
There shall Thy servant be;
And Jesus, I have promised
To serve Thee to the end;
Oh, give me grace to follow,
My Master and my Friend.

4. Oh, let me see Thy footmarks,
And in them plant mine own;
My hope to follow duly
Is in Thy strength alone.
Oh, guide me, call me, draw me,
Uphold me to the end;
And then in Heav'n receive me,
My Savior and my Friend.

_Memorise_
But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:
- John 1:12.

_Read: 1 John 3:1-3._
1 Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.
2 Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.
3 And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.

_Message_
You cannot discover your true identity if you are not in Christ. You need to recognise your true self through the light of the Scripture. If you know your true identity, it will help you not to compromise the call of God on your life. The secret of blessings lies in your being able to walk in the divine purpose for your life. As a believer, you are the light in the midst of darkness, called to shine forth. You are the bridge to the destinies of men. If you don’t discover your destiny, the destinies of many others will be buried. I once asked the Almighty God why He allowed me to “waste” twenty-seven years studying mathematics, when He knew that I would eventually become a pastor. The Lord told me that it was simply for the purpose of being able to preach mathematically. It then dawned on me that indeed all things work together for good for the children of God (Romans 8:28).

You are not a child of God just to attend church; you need to find out what God has empowered you for, and do exploits in that area. The reason why you are a child of God is not just to feel cool but to be driven by God’s purpose and mission. When you recognise that you belong to God, it will be practically impossible for anyone to get you derailed (Acts 27:23-24). The power you have received as a child of God is not for nothing. It is expected that you will use this power in raising the dead, in opening the eyes of those still walking and living in ignorance, and in setting captives free from the bondage of Satan. In John 14:12, the Lord Jesus says to you:
"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."

As children of God, let us wake up from our slumber and do the needful urgently. Every child of God is meant to be a fighter — a fearless fighter. You must not be weak in doing exploits for the Lord. You must not give in to fear despite the obstacles before you. All you need is the confidence that as a child of God, you have the backing of your Father. Anyone who comes to Christ comes to the newness of life which qualifies him or her for a new beginning. As a child of God, you must realise that Christ is the centre of your life, and you are meant to be a channel of blessings. A lot of people pass through life without being noticed because they have failed to understand the plan and programme of God for their lives. I pray for you that, in the Name of Jesus, you will find your place in God. By His grace, you will begin to experience prosperity, excellence and extraordinary breakthroughs, and before the end of your life, you will make a lasting change in the world.

Prayer Point
Father, as You did for the disciples of old, grant me boldness to speak Your word.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
Genesis 16:18
Isaiah 44:9-20.

Open Heavens Devotional.
Saturday 25th February, 2017.
*UNGRATEFUL?*

_HYMN 17: COUNT YOUR BLESSINGS._
1. When upon life's billows you are tempest-tossed,
When you are discouraged, thinking all is lost,
Count your many blessings; name them one by one,
And it will surprise you what the Lord has done.

~Chorus~
Count your blessings;
Name them one by one.
Count your blessings;
See what God hath done.
Count your blessings;
Name them one by one.
Count your many blessings;
See what God hath done.

2. Are you ever burdened with a load of care?
Does the cross seem heavy you are called to bear?
Count your many blessings; ev'ry doubt will fly,
And you will be singing as the days go by.

3. When you look at others with their lands and gold,
Think that Christ has promised you his wealth untold.
Count your many blessings; money cannot buy
Your reward in heaven nor your home on high.

4. So amid the conflict, whether great or small,
Do not be discouraged; God is over all.
Count your many blessings; angels will attend,
Help and comfort give you to your journey's end.

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

_Read: 1 Samuel 25:4-17._
4 And David heard in the wilderness that Nabal did shear his sheep.
5 And David sent out ten young men, and David said unto the young men, Get you up to Carmel, and go to Nabal, and greet him in my name:
6 And thus shall ye say to him that liveth in prosperity, Peace be both to thee, and peace be to thine house, and peace be unto all that thou hast.
7 And now I have heard that thou hast shearers: now thy shepherds which were with us, we hurt them not, neither was there ought missing unto them, all the while they were in Carmel.
8 Ask thy young men, and they will shew thee. Wherefore let the young men find favour in thine eyes: for we come in a good day: give, I pray thee, whatsoever cometh to thine hand unto thy servants, and to thy son David.
9 And when David's young men came, they spake to Nabal according to all those words in the name of David, and ceased.
10 And Nabal answered David's servants, and said, Who is David? and who is the son of Jesse? there be many servants now a days that break away every man from his master.
11 Shall I then take my bread, and my water, and my flesh that I have killed for my shearers, and give it unto men, whom I know not whence they be?
12 So David's young men turned their way, and went again, and came and told him all those sayings.
13 And David said unto his men, Gird ye on every man his sword. And they girded on every man his sword; and David also girded on his sword: and there went up after David about four hundred men; and two hundred abode by the stuff.
14 But one of the young men told Abigail, Nabal's wife, saying, Behold, David sent messengers out of the wilderness to salute our master; and he railed on them.
15 But the men were very good unto us, and we were not hurt, neither missed we any thing, as long as we were conversant with them, when we were in the fields:
16 They were a wall unto us both by night and day, all the while we were with them keeping the sheep.
17 Now therefore know and consider what thou wilt do; for evil is determined against our master, and against all his household: for he is such a son of Belial, that a man cannot speak to him.

_Message_
God plays a prominent role in every successful endeavour (Lamentations 3:37). No human effort would suffice if God is not involved (Psalm 127:1). This is why you need to be grateful to God for every achievement you experience. Nabal, his household and everyone around him lived in prosperity. In spite of all the battles raging around them, Nabal’s workers were all secure and his goods intact. He enjoyed safety and prosperity because the men of David’s hand shielded him and all he had from attacks. At a crucial point, David and his men needed his help in providing food for their sustenance, but he denied them this. He disdained David and his men because he saw them as misfits and fugitives who did not deserve his generosity. Many children of God also feel this way when they are asked to give. Some people disdain God each time they are asked to give offerings to Him. They wonder why they have to give 10% of their profit or income to God. They see this as irrational. _Yes, irrational minds cannot see the faithfulness of God_. We should be grateful to God, and our gratitude should be expressed through our actions to Him and to our fellow men. Every time we bless others with our possessions out of a sincere heart, we are saying to God that we are grateful He made us a channel of blessing.

You can move God to do more for you through the heart of gratitude. Those who show gratitude to God achieve significant things in life. Solomon showed his gratitude to God through his offerings (1 Kings 3:3-15). He remembered and reflected on all the intrigues and battles that led to his emergence as king, and he was moved to give thanks. Also, King David was so grateful to God that he expressed it in his dance, to the point where he was disdained (2 Samuel 6:16). He forgot he was a king, because he was demonstrating his gratitude to the King of kings. For those with a heart of gratitude to God, when things are working, they praise God, and when things are not going in the direction they envisaged, they still praise God, knowing well that the faithfulness of God will never allow them to suffer loss. Are you surrounded by enemies you can’t number? Don’t be troubled. Trust in Lord, and you will see His salvation. Are you going through situations that you can’t see yourself overcoming? Put your trust in God, and you will have total victory. Just take the step of faith and begin to bless the Name of the Lord. Even if a sack letter from your job was handed over to you yesterday, just begin to bless the Lord because something awesome is about to happen to you, and the world will hear your testimony.

_Action Point_
With a heart of gratitude to God, count your blessings and name them one by one.

_Bible In One Year:_
Genesis 19-20,
Isaiah 44:21-45:13.

Howoheye:
Open Heavens Devotional.
Friday 3rd February, 2017.
*RESULT-PRODUCING PRAYER.*

_HYMN 4: THROUGH THE LOVE OF GOD OUR SAVIOUR._

1 Through the love of God our Saviour,
all will be well.
Free and changeless is his favour,
all, all is well.
Precious is the blood that healed us,
Perfect is the grace that sealed us,
Strong the hand stretched forth to shield us,
all must be well.

2 Though we pass through tribulation,
all will be well.
Ours is such a full salvation,
all, all is well.
Happy, still in God confiding,
Fruitful, if in Christ abiding,
Holy, through the Spirit’s guiding,
all must be well.

3 We expect a bright tomorrow,
all will be well.
Faith can sing through days of sorrow,
'All, all is well.'
On our Father’s love relying,
Jesus every need supplying,
In our living, in our dying,
all must be well.

_Memorise_
In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.
- 1 Thessalonians 5:18.

Read: Mark 11:22-26.
22 And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God.
23 For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.
24 Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.
25 And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.
26 But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses.

_Message_
Result-producing prayers are prayers that remove mountains. They are prayers that put the forces of hell to flight. They part Red Seas and make a way for you into your promised land. These are prayers that guarantee the achievement of impossible feats and open the door to outstanding success. They are prayers that put business ideas in the heart of entrepreneurs and make their businesses remain at the cutting edge of prosperity even during an economic crunch. It is the type of prayer that stills every storm in the life of an individual. Result-producing prayers make deliverance from evil powers possible. By these prayers, a beggar is raised from the pit and made a channel of blessings to generations after him. From today, your prayers will command outstanding results in Jesus’ Name.

A lot of people pass through this world like an ant: unnoticed and unknown. Their minds are so beclouded by the powers of darkness that they do not understand the will of God for their lives. There are several people at various crossroads in life who have no clue of what to do next. For some, their hopes are dashed and purpose lost. It is only in the place of prayer *–result-producing prayer–* that you can put a stop to such activities of the devil. Prayer is a wonderful privilege the saints of God can use to access the promises of God. When you engage in violent prayer, it releases your faith. Faith in turn enables you to call those things that be not as though they exist. It sees life in death, prosperity in poverty, salvation in the enslavement of sin, fruitfulness in barrenness, redemption in destruction and miracles in the face of insurmountable problems.
The problem I have seen in the Body of Christ is that ministers theorise prayer. Prayer is a potent weapon that can produce speedy results. It should be consciously engaged in settling any unrest, challenges, confrontations, intimidations and difficulties that one faces in the journey of life. Prayer is not theoretical, but a practical demonstration of God’s power. I have been to prayer meetings where ministers preach so much about prayer but end up not leading people in prayers. I have also seen people, who were asked to lead prayers, get distracted by other issues after getting to the pulpit. The power of the cross of Calvary will destroy every yoke, bondage, spell, attack and curse that has been waging war against your prayer life in Jesus’ Name.

_Key Point_
It is dangerous for a minister of the gospel to preach more than he prays.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
Luke 16:17,
Isaiah 29:15-30:7.

Hello when will you post the one for 26th which is tomorrow?

Open Heavens Devotional.
Sunday 26th February, 2017.
*HYPOCRITICAL?*

_HYMN 9: ON THE HILL FAR AWAY._
1. On a hill far away
Stood an old rugged cross,
The emblem of suffering and shame;
And I love that old cross where the dearest and best
For a world of lost sinners was slain.

_Refrain:_
So I'll cherish the old rugged cross,
till my trophies at last I lay down;
I will cling to the old rugged cross,
and exchange it some day for a crown.

2. O that old rugged cross, so despised by the world,
Has a wondrous attraction for me;
For the dear Lamb of God left his glory above
To bear it to dark Calvary.
_(Refrain)_

3. In that old rugged cross, stained with blood so divine,
A wondrous beauty I see,
For 'twas on that old cross Jesus suffered and died,
To pardon and sanctify me.
_(Refrain)_

4. To that old rugged cross I will ever be true,
its shame and reproach gladly bear;
Then he'll call me some day to my home far away,
Where his glory forever I'll share.
_(Refrain)_

_Memorise_
But Jesus perceived their wickedness, and said, why tempt ye me, ye hypocrites?
- Matthew 22:18.

_Read: Luke 11:37-44._
37 And as he spake, a certain Pharisee besought him to dine with him: and he went in, and sat down to meat.
38 And when the Pharisee saw it, he marvelled that he had not first washed before dinner.
39 And the Lord said unto him, Now do ye Pharisees make clean the outside of the cup and the platter; but your inward part is full of ravening and wickedness.
40 Ye fools, did not he that made that which is without make that which is within also?
41 But rather give alms of such things as ye have; and, behold, all things are clean unto you.
42 But woe unto you, Pharisees! for ye tithe mint and rue and all manner of herbs, and pass over judgment and the love of God: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.
43 Woe unto you, Pharisees! for ye love the uppermost seats in the synagogues, and greetings in the markets.
44 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are as graves which appear not, and the men that walk over them are not aware of them.

_Message_
One of the characteristics which the Holy Spirit warns us will be rife in the last days is hypocrisy (1 Timothy 4:2). No wonder the Lord Jesus Christ made it very clear that many who expect to be granted access through the pearly gates will be turned back on the last day (Luke 13:24-27). Do you know that many bishops, pastors, general overseers, apostles, etc who are professing Christ today will not make it on the day of judgement? May that not be your lot in Jesus’ Name. To prevent this from happening to you, you need to periodically examine yourself to see if you are still in the faith, as received from the Lord. 2 Corinthians 13:5 says,

_"Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?"_

Ask yourself if your name is still written in the Book of Life. Does the Spirit of God still bear witness with your spirit that you are a bona fide child of God? Is your conscience free from guilt and dead works? Can the devil and his agents testify that truly, you are no longer in their camp? Don’t pretend to be a child of God when you know you are on your way to perdition.

The greatest challenges Jesus had with the Pharisees was the issue of their mindset. They appeared to have good intentions, but it was all a lie. Jesus knew the state of their hearts. The human heart is like a computer. Whatever you feed it with will determine what comes out of it. The heart of a man is what shapes his destiny. The reason why some people come to church and are still not blessed is the state of their heart. Their hypocritical hearts are hardened, and so they cannot receive anything from God. If the Pharisees had allowed the message of Jesus Christ to penetrate their hearts, their perception would have been different. If you allow God to work on your heart, your breakthrough will be immeasurable. Our heart is a reflection of who we are. Every time Jesus performed a miracle, instead of being happy that someone in need had received help from God, the Scribes and Pharisees would rather question by what authority He did it (John 9:13-27, Luke 20:1-2). That is what a hypocritical heart looks like. I wish we all knew that God is watching not just our actions but also our motives. He hears and watches everything we do behind closed doors. There is nothing hidden from Him that will not be exposed on the last day. Hypocrites know how to find faults in the lives of others, but their own lives are like sepulchres which appear beautiful on the outside but are full of dead men’s bones (Matthew 23:27). God wants us to reflect a life of righteousness and transparency, a life that radiates the glory of God, a life of virtue and of good works.

_Prayer Point:_
Father, deliver me from all forms of self-deception.

_BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:_
Genesis 21:23
Isaiah 45:14-25

Open Heavens Devotional.
Monday 27th February, 2017.
*SINCERITY*

_HYMN 9: ON THE HILL AWAY._
1. On a hill far away stood an old rugged cross,
the emblem of suffering and shame;
and I love that old cross where the dearest and best
for a world of lost sinners was slain.

Refrain:
So I'll cherish the old rugged cross,
till my trophies at last I lay down;
I will cling to the old rugged cross,
and exchange it some day for a crown.

2. O that old rugged cross, so despised by the world,
has a wondrous attraction for me;
for the dear Lamb of God left his glory above
to bear it to dark Calvary.
Refrain

3. In that old rugged cross, stained with blood so divine,
a wondrous beauty I see,
for 'twas on that old cross Jesus suffered and died,
to pardon and sanctify me.
Refrain

4. To the old rugged cross I will ever be true;
its shame and reproach gladly bear;
then he'll call me some day to my home far away,
where his glory forever I'll share.
Refrain

_MEMORISE_
In all things shewing thyself a pattern of good works: in doctrine shewing uncorruptness, gravity, sincerity.
- Titus 2:7.

_READ: 2 CORINTHIANS 2:14-17._
14 Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in every place.
15 For we are unto God a sweet savour of Christ, in them that are saved, and in them that perish:
16 To the one we are the savour of death unto death; and to the other the savour of life unto life. And who is sufficient for these things?
17 For we are not as many, which corrupt the word of God: but as of sincerity, but as of God, in the sight of God speak we in Christ.

_MESSAGE_
Insincerity is one of the greatest reasons behind the downfall of many believers today. Some people claim to love God, but the kind of fruit they manifest makes people question the genuineness of their salvation. Loving God is not just by words, it must reflect in all that we do and in our approach to life. The moment we are saved, we should no longer walk as those who are heading for eternal damnation. The word of God must be obeyed in its entirety. There are believers today who cherry-pick the aspects of the Bible they want to obey. This should not be so! After we are saved, it is expected of us to immediately renounce all the hidden things of dishonesty (2 Corinthians 4:2). We cannot afford to be careless in our Christian walk, because we have an adversary (1 Peter 5:. To be able to stand against the wiles of the devil, we must be sincere with ourselves. One of the things that gave David victory over Goliath was his sincerity. Although King Saul offered David his armour, David was sincere enough to admit that he had never tried that approach (1 Samuel 17:38-39). His sincerity made him stick to his familiar strategy of using smooth stones and a catapult, rather than wasting his time on an untested line of attack that would not produce results.

Today, there are many ministers of the gospel who have abandoned the true gospel for a social message. They believe that people are not interested in hearing the truth. This is false! Some believe that if they preach the true gospel to people, they will find it very hard and most will turn away, hence, they water down their messages. Such ministers need to learn from Jesus (John 6:60-67). If Samson had been sincere with himself, he would not have died the kind of death he died (Judges 16:21-30). The devil had tested Samson several times and had found out that he had no wisdom. Samson knew he had a weakness for women, but he refused to admit it. He felt things would always remain as they were (Judges 16:20). If he was sincere, he would have built a wall of defence between himself and his weaknesses. He kept a relationship he knew God did not approve of. He kept visiting places he should not visit, just like some Christians today who visit bars; even though they know ungodly things happen there. Are you finding it difficult to stop stealing, yet you still join others in counting offering money? Are you finding it difficult to keep your eyes off your female secretary, despite speaking in tongues, and yet you have not eased her out? Are you competing with the grace of God in other people’s lives, despite the fact that God has told you your own area of strength? If any of these describes you, then you are not being sincere with yourself!

_PRAYER POINT_
Father, grant me the grace to sincerely deal with every weakness in my life.

_BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:_
Genesis 24,
Isaiah 46.

Open Heavens Devotional.
Tuesday 28th February, 2017.
*IMPEDIMENTS TO PRAYER.*

*HYMN: Deeper, deeper in the love of Jesus*
1. Deeper, deeper in the love of Jesus
Daily let me go;
Higher, higher in the school of wisdom,
More of grace to know.

Chorus:
O deeper yet, I pray,
And higher every day,
And wiser, blessed Lord,
In Thy precious, holy Word.

2. Deeper, deeper, blessed Holy Spirit,
Take me deeper still,
Till my life is wholly lost in Jesus,
And His perfect will.
Chorus

3. Deeper, deeper! though it cost hard trials,
Deeper let me go!
Rooted in the holy love of Jesus,
Let me fruitful grow.
Chorus

4. Deeper, higher, every day in Jesus,
Till all conflict past,
Finds me conqu'ror, and in His own image
Perfected at last.
Chorus

5. Deeper, deeper in the faith of Jesus,
Holy faith and true;
In His pow'r and soul exulting wisdom
Let me peace pursue.
Chorus

_MEMORISE_
If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me: PSALM 66 : 18.

_READ: ISAIAH 59 : 1 - 4:_
1 Behold, the Lord's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear:
2 But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.
3 For your hands are defiled with blood, and your fingers with iniquity; your lips have spoken lies, your tongue hath muttered perverseness.
4 None calleth for justice, nor any pleadeth for truth: they trust in vanity, and speak lies; they conceive mischief, and bring forth iniquity.

_MESSAGE_
The fact that God answers prayers is without doubt. Anytime you call on Him, as long as it is in the Name of Jesus, you can be sure the answer will come. Jesus in John 14 : 14 said,
_“If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.”_

To God, answering prayers is a question of keeping His word. He said if you call upon Him when you are in trouble, He will deliver you, and He is bound by His word ( Psalm 50 : 15, Hebrews 6 : 18 ). There was once a contest between the prophet of God, Elijah, and 450 prophets of an idol called Baal ( 1 Kings 18 : 19 - 24 ). Each side was to call on their God or god; the goal was to see which side would receive a response by fire. The prophets of Baal called on their god from morning till afternoon, but there was no answer. The moment the man of God called on the Lord, fire fell from heaven. God is still in the business of answering prayers, but are you still in the business of obeying Him? Be assured that God is still in the business of stilling raging storms. If you remove iniquity from your heart, you will call on Him and He will answer and deliver you.

As much as God desires to answer your prayers, if you still enjoy a life of sin, your prayers cannot be answered. We must make conscious efforts to remove all impediments to our prayers. Such impediments include what the Bible describes as “the sin which doth so easily beset us” ( Hebrews 12 : 1 ). The pleasures of the flesh run against God’s expectations ( Galatians 5 : 17 ). Such pleasures will not allow us to receive answers to our prayers. We must be weary of gossip because there is great danger in every idle word we speak ( Matthew 12 : 36 ). Jesting should also be avoided ( Ephesians 5 : 4 ). Jesting refers to unholy jokes. God is not against laughter and humour as some people wrongly believe. He is pleasantly humorous, but we must keep ourselves from unhealthy jokes that hinder holy living or make fun of the Holy Spirit. The Lord is not just looking for those who are calling on Him for miracles and signs; He is searching for those who will lift up holy hands and a pure heart before Him ( Psalm 24 : 3 - 5 ). He is looking for those who are ready and committed to walking in His footsteps. God is holy, and He has called us to holy living. We are to do as He commands because we are the light of the world. God in Heaven is glorified when our light shines in the midst of the darkness of this world. If you don’t want any impediment to your prayers from now on, you must amend your ways. If you have been stealing, repent and steal no more. If you have been involved in questionable transactions and dealings, you have to repent and forsake such ways. If your life is right with God, your prayers will not be hindered.

_ACTION POINT:_
Confess every pleasure of the flesh you have yield to, asking for grace to live above them.

_BIBLE IN ONE YEAR_
GENESIS 25 - 26
ISAIAH 47 : 1 - 13.

Open Heavens Devotional.
Wednesday 1st March, 2017.
*SOWING IN TEARS.*

*HYMN 14: ONWARD CHRISTIAN SOLDIERS*
1. Onward, Christian soldiers,
marching as to war,
With the cross of Jesus
going on before!
Christ, the royal Master,
leads against the foe;
Forward into battle,
see his banner go!

_Refrain:_
Onward, Christian soldiers,
Marching as to war,
With the cross of Jesus
Going on before!

2. At the sign of triumph
Satan's host doth flee;
On, then, Christian soldiers,
on to victory!
Hell's foundations quiver
at the shout of praise;
Brothers, lift your voices,
loud your anthems raise! [Refrain]

3. Like a mighty army
moves the church of God;
Brothers, we are treading
where the saints have trod;
We are not divided;
all one body we,
One in hope and doctrine,
one in charity. [Refrain]

4. Onward, then, ye people,
join our happy throng,
Blend with ours your voices
in the triumph song;
Glory, laud, and honor,
unto Christ the King;
This thro' countless ages
men and angels sing. [Refrain]

_Memorise_
They that sow in tears shall reap in Joy.
- Psalm 126:5.

Read: Psalm 126:5-6.
5 They that sow in tears shall reap in joy.
6 He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him.

_Message_
More often than not, we associate sowing with giving of money. For this reason, some people who do not have money believe they do not have anything to sow. This is far from the truth! If you do not have money, you can sow your time or talents into the work of the kingdom. Be it through praying, using your natural talents or your acquired skills/training, there is no one who has nothing to sow. Even if all you can do is smile, you can apply this in making new comers to church feel welcome. If you are a dramatic person, use it for the propagation of the gospel. Everyone has something to sow; all you need to do is to identify what you have. Romans 12:6-8 says,

_“Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith; Or ministry, let us wait on our ministering: or he that teacheth, on teaching; Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness.”_

When you sow a seed in tears, you will reap its yield in joy. Moreover, what you reap will be determined by what you have sown. You can sow towards the salvation of a loved one, telling God that he or she must not go to hell. To this end, you can sow prayers, fasting and witnessing to the fellow. The day such a soul eventually becomes saved; you will definitely reap the joy of heaven ( Luke 15 : 7 ). I cannot forget the wife of one of my friends; I was his best man at their wedding. My friend’s wife would say to me, “Please give your life to Christ and be born again.” But I would tell her “I am already a Christian, and my Christian name is Enoch.” She would reply, “That is not what I am taking about”, and then she would begin to cry. I would look at her and wonder what was wrong with her, saying “I am not the worst fellow around; at least you can ask your husband. He knows I am a good person. “However, she kept on praying and crying, sowing in tears for my salvation. Today, she is now laughing. When last did you sow towards the salvation of a loved one – family or friend? Some of us attempt to preach to such a fellow once or twice, but after being rebuffed, we say “I have done my best; if you like, refuse to repent. Your blood can no longer be required from my hands.” Yes, you have made attempts, but you have not yet done your best. You have to keep at it, and in Jesus’ Name, you will reap in joy.

_ACTION Point_
The salvation of some people requires great sacrifice. Ask God for the grace to pay the required price of the salvation of all your loved ones.

_BIBLE IN ONE YEAR_
GENESIS 27
ISAIAH 47:14-48:11

Open Heavens Devotional.
Friday 3rd March, 2017.
*DIFFERENT RESPONSES TO GOD.*

*HYMN 6: DEEPER, DEEPER...*
1. Deeper, deeper in the love of Jesus
Daily let me go;
Higher, higher in the school of wisdom,
More of grace to know.

Chorus:
O deeper yet, I pray,
And higher every day,
And wiser, blessed Lord,
In Thy precious, holy Word.

2. Deeper, deeper, blessed Holy Spirit,
Take me deeper still,
Till my life is wholly lost in Jesus,
And His perfect will.
Chorus:

3. Deeper, deeper! though it cost hard trials,
Deeper let me go!
Rooted in the holy love of Jesus,
Let me fruitful grow.
Chorus:

4. Deeper, higher, every day in Jesus,
Till all conflict past,
Finds me conqu'ror, and in His own image
Perfected at last.
Chorus:

5. Deeper, deeper in the faith of Jesus,
Holy faith and true;
In His pow'r and soul exulting wisdom
Let me peace pursue.
Chorus:

_Memorise_
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
- John 3:16.

_Read: John 3:16-17._
16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

_Message_
Our Heavenly Father expects us all to grow in our Christian faith (2 Peter 3:18). If you refuse to grow, you may end up keeping God in an endless state of waiting for you to grow. Unfortunately, while God waits for you to grow, you may end up losing certain crucial things to others who grow up faster. For how long will you remain a babe? How long do you expect God to wait for you? Keeping God waiting can definitely affect His original plan for the life of some of His children. The night is far spent, and the Lord’s return is around the corner; therefore we cannot afford to slow down the growth process.

Your level of maturity determines the level of relationship you have with God, and in turn, the level of your relationship determines the communication channels that are open to you from heaven (Numbers 12:6-. It also determines your understanding of and response to God’s word. As a result of this, you can expect different responses to the same word from God by different children of God. Take for instance, if you tell three Christians at different maturity levels that God loves them, they will see it in different ways. When a baby Christian hears “God loves you” he will rejoice because this reminds him of his triumphant state. He will remember Romans 8:37 which says,
_“Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us”_.

When you tell an adult Christian “God loves you”, he will inquisitively ask why you are saying this to him, because this reminds him of responsibility:
_for whosoever the Father loves, he chastises_
(Hebrew 12:6). On the other hand, when you tell a bone-cracking Christian “God loves you”, he will be a lot more apprehensive. He will say “Amen; may God have mercy.” He is saying this because it reminds him of sacrifice: _for whosoever the Father loves, He sacrifices_ (Genesis 22:2, Ephesians 5:2). God the Father was so pleased with Jesus that He sacrificed Him to redeem the world (John 3:16). When God wanted to prove to the world that there was no God above Him, what did He do? He sent His outstanding sons, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, into fire. When He wanted to show His supremacy over lions, what did He do? He allowed His loved Daniel to go into the lion’s den. How will you respond now when I say to you that God loves you? Can God trust you enough to send you to tough assignments that will bring honour and praise to His Name?

_Action Point:_
God can be patient, but not to the detriment of His timetable. Wherever you need to say “yes” to God, do it now.

*BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:*
Genesis 30:31
Isaiah 49:8-23.

Open Heavens Devotional.
Sunday 5th March, 2017.
HE BEARS BURDENS.

HYMN 2: WHAT A FRIEND WE HAVE IN JESUS.
1. What a friend we have in Jesus,
All our sins and griefs to bear!
What a privilege to carry
Everything to God in prayer!
Oh, what peace we often forfeit,
Oh, what needless pain we bear,
All because we do not carry
Everything to God in prayer!

2. Have we trials and temptations?
Is there trouble anywhere?
We should never be discouraged—
Take it to the Lord in prayer.
Can we find a friend so faithful,
Who will all our sorrows share?
Jesus knows our every weakness;
Take it to the Lord in prayer.

3. Are we weak and heavy-laden,
Cumbered with a load of care?
Precious Savior, still our refuge
Take it to the Lord in prayer.
Do thy friends despise, forsake thee?
Take it to the Lord in prayer!
In His arms He’ll take and shield thee,
Thou wilt find a solace there.

MEMORISE:
Casting all your care upon him, for he careth for you.
1 Peter 5:7.

READ: MATTHEW 27:27-32.
27 Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the common hall, and gathered unto him the whole band of soldiers.
28 And they stripped him, and put on him a scarlet robe.
29 And when they had platted a crown of thorns, they put it upon his head, and a reed in his right hand: and they bowed the knee before him, and mocked him, saying, Hail, King of the Jews!
30 And they spit upon him, and took the reed, and smote him on the head.
31 And after that they had mocked him, they took the robe off from him, and put his own raiment on him, and led him away to crucify him.
32 And as they came out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name: him they compelled to bear his cross.

MESSAGE
In Exodus 1:8-11, a generation of the children of Israel woke up one day and realised they had become slaves in a foreign land. From that moment, their children were born into slavery. Slavery became a burden that was attached to them for hundreds of years. Has something unsavoury been attached to you from birth? The Lord shall separate you from such burdens today in Jesus’ Name! Thankfully, just as there are burdens, there are also burden-bearers. A burden-bearer is someone who sees you carrying some burden and offers to carry it for you, or gives you a helping hand. We see this demonstrated in today’s Bible reading. While leading Jesus to Golgotha where He would to crucified, the Roman soldiers made Him carry His heavy wooden cross. Even though He had been thoroughly beaten, was bleeding and was tired, He still had to carry his cross. As they began the journey, Simon of Cyrene came alone and he was compelled by the soldiers to assist Jesus in carrying His cross.

Some years ago, we had an experience with one of our domestic workers. Whenever we ask her to suggest a chorus during our family devotion, she would always raise a particular song that says, “The fire is burning the bush but the bush is not consumed, how great is our God.” One day, we curiously decided to find out about this fire she kept singing of. On interviewing her, we discovered that she became a housemaid because her parents were heavily indebted and could not pay. By the grace of God, we paid the debt. The following day, when asked to suggest a chorus during prayer time, she sang a new song which proclaimed “He has done it for me!” if you have carried a burden for so long and the burden gets lifted away, your song will indeed change. The burden-bearer is the one who sees you carrying a burden and empathises with you. He comes to say to you that the load you are carrying is too heavy for you, and then offers to help you. There is no greater burden-bearer than then the Lord Jesus Christ! He wants to help you carry any load you are struggling with. Here is His call to you today:

“Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”
Matthew 11:28.

Accept His invitation, and call Him for help.

ACTION POINT
Confess those words to the Lord: Lord Jesus, I answer to Your call, I bring all of my burden to You. I lay them all at Your feet. I ask that You give me rest. Teach my heart to learn to cast all of my cares upon You in Faith, and not to live in worry.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR
Genesis 34-35
Isaiah 51:1-16.

Open Heavens Devotional.
Tuesday 7th March, 2017.
*MULTIPLY YOUR SEEDS.*

*HYMN 10: THERE SHALL BE SHOWER OF BLESSING*
1. There shall be showers of blessing:
This is the promise of love;
There shall be seasons refreshing,
Sent from the Savior above.

[Chorus]
Showers of blessing,
Showers of blessing we need:
Mercy drops ‘round us are falling,
But for the showers we plead.

2. There shall be showers of blessing--
Precious reviving again;
Over the hills and the valleys,
Sound of abundance of rain.
[Chorus]

3. There shall be showers of blessing:
Send them upon us, O Lord;
Grant to us now a refreshing;
Come, and now honor Thy Word.
[Chorus]

4. There shall be showers of blessing:
Oh, that today they might fall,
Now as to God we're confessing,
Now as on Jesus we call!
[Chorus]

_Memorise_
In the morning sow thy seed, and in the evening withhold not thine hand: for thou knowest not whether shall prosper, either this or that, or whether they both shall be alike good.
- Ecclesiastes 11:6.

_Read: Ecclesiastes 11:1-6 (KJV)._
1 Cast thy bread upon the waters: for thou shalt find it after many days.
2 Give a portion to seven, and also to eight; for thou knowest not what evil shall be upon the earth.
3 If the clouds be full of rain, they empty themselves upon the earth: and if the tree fall toward the south, or toward the north, in the place where the tree falleth, there it shall be.
4 He that observeth the wind shall not sow; and he that regardeth the clouds shall not reap.
5 As thou knowest not what is the way of the spirit, nor how the bones do grow in the womb of her that is with child: even so thou knowest not the works of God who maketh all.
6 In the morning sow thy seed, and in the evening withhold not thine hand: for thou knowest not whether shall prosper, either this or that, or whether they both shall be alike good.

Hymn: Sing hymn 10

_Message_
One law that applies to everyone is the law of harvest. The Holy Spirit in Galatians 6:7 says it is what you sow that you will reap. As a universal law, it holds true irrespective of your religious inclinations, race, colour or tribe. It applies, regardless of whether you believe it or not. Similarly, it is common knowledge that the kind of soil a seed is sown in will definitely affect and determine the harvest that will be taken from it. If the soil is good, the harvest will most likely be good, but if the soil is bad, the harvest will most likely be poor. If there are several farmers sowing the same type of seeds in the same kind of soil, is it possible for one farmer to have a more prosperous harvest than his colleagues? The Bible answers this in 2 Corinthians 9:6
_“But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully.”_

It is possible for one of the farmers to reap a better harvest, if he or she increases the quantity of seeds sown or the frequency of sowing. In light of this, the preacher strongly advises us to engage in regular sowing of seeds. You should be prepared to sow by day and by night. You should also sow when you are young and continue sowing when you are old. Why? Nobody can determine how the harvest of the seeds he or she has sown will be. Some seeds may come up with a poor harvest, some with a good harvest while some others may not yield at all. All these are pointers to the fact that you input can greatly influence your harvest.

Some people sow once in a very long while and then wait to see the harvest before deciding to sow again. This is why their harvest is kept far away from them. Do you know that in spite of all God has done for us – He sowed His only begotten Son to obtain our redemption – He is still sowing seeds for mercy, love, forgiveness, protection, provision, etc into our lives on a daily basis? This is why He continues to take in a harvest of souls every day. No wonder He tells us in Galatians 6:9
_“And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.”_

How frequently do you sow into God’s Kingdom? Have you stopped sowing because you are now old? Don’t stop sowing! Scatter your seeds today!

_Action Point_
Looking at the size and quality of harvest you want for the future, go ahead and sow the seeds that will give you such harvest.

_Bible In One Year:_
Genesis 38-39
Isaiah 52:13-53:12

Open Heavens Devotional.
Wednesday 8th March, 2017.
*LIKE ABRAHAM?*

_*HYMN 10: THERE SHALL BE SHOWER OF BLESSING.*_
1. There shall be showers of blessing:
This is the promise of love;
There shall be seasons refreshing,
Sent from the Savior above.

[Chorus]
Showers of blessing,
Showers of blessing we need:
Mercy drops ‘round us are falling,
But for the showers we plead.

2. There shall be showers of blessing--
Precious reviving again;
Over the hills and the valleys,
Sound of abundance of rain.
[Chorus]

3. There shall be showers of blessing:
Send them upon us, O Lord;
Grant to us now a refreshing;
Come, and now honor Thy Word.
[Chorus]

4. There shall be showers of blessing:
Oh, that today they might fall,
Now as to God we're confessing,
Now as on Jesus we call!
[Chorus]

_MEMORISE:_
And he removed from thence unto a mountain on the east of Bethel, and pitched his tent, having Bethel, on the west, and Hai on the east: and there he builded an alter unto the LORD, and called upon the name of the LORD. Genesis 12:8

_READ: GENESIS 12:7-8 (KJV)._
7 And the Lord appeared unto Abram, and said, Unto thy seed will I give this land: and there builded he an altar unto the Lord, who appeared unto him.
8 And he removed from thence unto a mountain on the east of Bethel, and pitched his tent, having Bethel on the west, and Hai on the east: and there he builded an altar unto the Lord, and called upon the name of the Lord.

_MESSAGE_
One crucial question that many people asking God to prosper them have not answered is: what will you do with the wealth you are asking for? While some people are sure of what to do with such wealth, many others are not so certain. Why do you want God to prosper you? Is it so that you can have multiple spouses, build multiple houses or buy a multitude of cars? If you really desire great wealth from God, what you plan to do with it to bring glory to His Name must not be far from you. May you have the right reasons, motives and goals that will be honoured by God in Jesus’ Name!

Let us consider the case of Abraham our spiritual father. After God promised to bless Abraham in Genesis 12:1-3 and repeating the same promise in Genesis 12:7-8, what did Abraham do? Abraham immediately built an altar and worshipped God. Note that at this time, all Abraham had was God’s promise; there was no blessing yet. In other words, he was saying, “for promising to bless me at all, You deserve my worship.” Down the line, in Genesis 13:1-4, after the blessings started pouring in, Abraham did not forget his resolve to worship God. He travelled quite some distance to an altar he had earlier built at Bethel to worship God. By the time you get to Genesis 22:1-18, although Abraham had become truly blessed, he still proved to God that he loved Him more than any blessing he had received from Him, including Isaac his beloved son. When God saw all these, He was so impressed that He released greater blessings on him; hence, Abraham’s servant could testify that God had greatly blessed Abraham (Genesis 24:34-35). From the onset, Abraham was focused on worshipping God. As the blessings came, He remained committed to worshipping God. For this reason, the Holy Spirit in Isaiah 51:2 instructs us to learn from him:
“Look unto Abraham your father, and unto Sarah that bare you: for I called him alone, and blessed him, and increased him.”

Not many of us are like Father Abraham. When you allow the little blessings you received from God to derail you from the faith, how can you then convince God to give you more? If you truly want the exponential blessings that God has reserved for you, you must have a solid plan for how you will glorify Him with such wealth. How are you spending the little you have now?

_KEY POINT:_
God has a plan for how you should spend every provision He makes available to you. Make it a point of duty to always ask Him to reveal this to you.

_BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:_
Genesis 40-41
Isaiah 54.

Open Heavens Devotional.
Friday 10th March, 2017.
*WHEN GOD LOSES A BATTLE.*

*HYMN 13: WONDERFUL STORY OF LOVE.*

1. Wonderful story of love;
Tell it to me again;
Wonderful story of love;
Wake the immortal strain!
Angels with rapture announce it,
Shepherds with wonder receive it;
Sinner, oh, won’t you believe it?
Wonderful story of love.

Refrain:
Wonderful! Wonderful!
Wonderful, wonderful story of love.

2. Wonderful story of love;
Though you are far away;
Wonderful story of love;
Still He doth call today;
Calling from Calvary’s mountain,
Down from the crystal-bright fountain,
E’en from the dawn of creation,
Wonderful story of love.
Refrain

3. Wonderful story of love;
Jesus provides a rest;
Wonderful story of love;
For all the pure and blest,
Rest in those mansions above us,
With those who’ve gone on before us,
Singing the rapturous chorus,
Wonderful story of love.
Refrain

_Memorise_
Who is this King of glory? The LORD strong and mighty, the LORD mighty in battle.
- Psalm 24:8.

_Read: Acts 7:57-8:4._
57 Then they cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and ran upon him with one accord,
58 And cast him out of the city, and stoned him: and the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man's feet, whose name was Saul.
59 And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.
60 And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep.

1 And Saul was consenting unto his death. And at that time there was a great persecution against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judaea and Samaria, except the apostles.
2 And devout men carried Stephen to his burial, and made great lamentation over him.
3 As for Saul, he made havock of the church, entering into every house, and haling men and women committed them to prison.
4 Therefore they that were scattered abroad went every where preaching the word.

_Message_
For quite a long while in times past, I usually said that the Lord of Host never loses a battle, but quite recently, the Lord corrected me and said, “Son, I can lose a battle to win a war. I never lose a war.” According to His divine wisdom, when it pleases the Lord, He can choose to lose a battle in order to win a war. He can give up a battle, but He has never lost a war. We need to tap into this divine wisdom and apply its principle in our lives. It’s all about looking at the bigger picture. You will gain more from winning a war than from winning a battle. You will also lose more when you lose a war than when you lose a battle. Some people are not ready to lose any battle, and as a result, they lose the war that is more crucial. Take for instance, evangelism. If you go to preach to an individual about Christ and an argument ensues, you are faced with the choice of winning a battle (the argument) or winning the soul of the sinner (a war). If you choose to win the argument, you will most likely lose that soul. This is why you should not get involved in arguments when preaching the gospel to unbelievers. Time to evangelise is not a time to argue about whose religion is more superior. Faith in Christ Jesus is more than just a religion. Simply tell the sinner about Jesus and God’s love towards him or her. Share your salvation experience with him or her. Stir up his or her interest in Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit will do the necessary work of conviction. After playing your part, you can then invite the person to surrender his or her life to Christ.

When you observe that God is seemingly losing a battle or battles, it is because there is a bigger war He wants to win. For instance, in the midst of intense persecution of the early Church, God allowed His beloved Stephen to be martyred. Why did He allow this? It’s because He wanted to win the war of saving the ring leader of Stephen’s murderers, Saul. Through Saul, He planned to convert whole cities and to virtually turn the world upside down, and He succeeded in this (Acts 17:6). At the end, it became a double gain for the Lord as Stephen had a triumphant entry into Heaven while Paul, who supervised his martyrdom, became a mightier instrument in the hand of God for the salvation of souls on a massive scale across the globe. This testimony about Paul in Acts 19:26 show the awesomeness of God’s wisdom:

_“Moreover ye see and hear, that not alone at Ephesus, but almost throughout all Asia, this Paul hath persuaded and turned away much people, saying that they be no gods, which are made with hands:”_

Anytime you follow God’s wisdom, you will know when to lose a battle in order to win a war.

_PRAYER POINT_
Father, teach me to give up the battle that will enable me to win the most crucial wars.

_Bible In One Year_
GENESIS 44-45
ISAIAH 56.

Open Heavens Devotional.
Saturday 11th March, 2017.
*WHEN HIS VOICE THUNDERS.*

_Hymn:_
1. Through the love of God our Saviour,
all will be well.
Free and changeless is his favour,
all, all is well.
Precious is the blood that healed us,
Perfect is the grace that sealed us,
Strong the hand stretched forth to shield us,
all must be well.

2. Though we pass through tribulation,
all will be well.
Ours is such a full salvation,
all, all is well.
Happy, still in God confiding,
Fruitful, if in Christ abiding,
Holy, through the Spirit's guiding,
all must be well.

3. We expect a bright tomorrow,
all will be well.
Faith can sing through days of sorrow,
all, all is well.
On our father's love relying,
Jesus every need supplying,
In our living, in our dying,
all must be well.

_Memorise_
For through the voice of the LORD shall the Assyrian be beaten down, which smote with a rod.
- Isaiah 30:31.

_Read: Psalm 29:3-9 (KJV)._
3 The voice of the Lord is upon the waters: the God of glory thundereth: the Lord is upon many waters.
4 The voice of the Lord is powerful; the voice of the Lord is full of majesty.
5 The voice of the Lord breaketh the cedars; yea, the Lord breaketh the cedars of Lebanon.
6 He maketh them also to skip like a calf; Lebanon and Sirion like a young unicorn.
7 The voice of the Lord divideth the flames of fire.
8 The voice of the Lord shaketh the wilderness; the Lord shaketh the wilderness of Kadesh.
9 The voice of the Lord maketh the hinds to calve, and discovereth the forests: and in his temple doth every one speak of his glory.

_Message_
But the men marvelled, saying, What manner of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him!”
Matthew 8:27.

Are you currently in a state of perplexity? Does it seem as if the devil has vowed to sink the boat of your life? I have good news for you: he is only joking. Why? One reason why the boat of your life cannot sink is because all the elements, wind, storm and waves working against your boat were created by God, and they must hear His voice and obey Him. The disciples could not believe their eyes when they saw the manifestation of this. Jesus spoke to the contrary wind and the waves of the sea and they obeyed him. This season, everything working contrary to your boat and sail will hear the voice of the Master and beat a retreat in Jesus’ Name.

Everything God has created treats His voice with fear and awe. According to today’s reading, this voice is so powerful and awesome that there is no one and nothing that can withstand it. When the Lord speaks, thunder and lightning follow (Isaiah 30:30). When He speaks, the world beholds the true majesty of God. When He speaks, mighty cedar trees are split in pieces. When He speaks, the hottest of fires is cooled. When He speaks, the earth shakes and the wilderness quakes. When He speaks, hidden secrets are exposed and the impossible becomes possible. What can resist God’s voice? Nothing in or out of this world can! Today, the Lord will speak into your situation and every force or power actively working against you will take their flight. Yes, when He speaks, everything standing in His way will have to give way. At a point in time, the Philistines gathered together to invade Israel like they had done in times past. Samuel cried to the Lord and the voice of the Lord sounded from heaven to roundly defeat them. They never invaded Israel again after this (1 Samuel 7:8-13). As God speaks into your situation today, the speed at which your oppressors will disappear will be quite amazing. Look around you today, what are those things that have refused to let you go forward? Call on the Lord to speak into your situation now and there shall be change. The Lord will speak into your life, family, work place, finances and academics today, and all your enemies shall scatter.

_Prayer Point:_
Father, Lazarus heard Your voice and he came out of the grave. Speak into my life and let every opposing circumstances be silenced now. 

_Bible In One Year:_
Genesis 46-47,
Isaiah 57.