Open Heavens Devotional by Pastor E.A. Adeboye

BLESSED ALL ROUND Friday 9 March

2012-03-08T20:00:00.000+01:00

OpenHeavens Devotional by Pastor E.A. Adeboye

Memorise: The Lord shall command the blessing upon thee inthy storehouse and in all that thou settest thine hand unto; and he shall blessthee in the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee. Deuteronomy 28:8

Read: Genesis 39:1-6

From the story of Joseph recorded in today’s Bible reading,we learn this truth: God’s presence changes the location of the one who has it.It moves you up and it moves you forward. If God is truly with you, you cannotremain on the same spot for long. If making progress is quiet difficult foryou, it could be a pointer to the absence of God’s presence. If God is withyou, He will relocate you from the bottom to the top, from sorrow anddepression into joy and hope, and from lack into abundance. May the presence ofGod promote you in Jesus name.

Another truth we learn from this story is that God’spresence can positively affect every area of your life. In genesis 39:3,everything Joseph did prospered. God’s presence in your life can positivelyaffect you spiritually, physically, mentally, financially, socially andministry-wise. This implies that the one who has God with him will observe thathe or she is making progress in every area of life. 3 John 2 will be a realityin the life of such an individual. Yes, it is possible to be blessed all round!Usually, most believers notice God’s blessing in certain areas while some otherareas are left out. The true mark of God’s tangible presence in your life isthat every situation in your life responds positively to His will. Using thisstandard, can you truly say that God is with you? When people observe thepresence of God in a man, they will like to draw close to him. People like toassociate with the rich, influential and successful people. Although Joseph enteredPotiphar’s house as a slave, yet his master later became proud to be associatedwith him. This year, the presence of God upon your life will cause men andwomen, friends and foes to take pleasure in associating with you.

PRAYER POINT:

Oh Lord! If truly You are with me, let me move forward inevery areas of my life.

Bible in one year: Job 32-34

WHAT SEEKEST THOU? Thursday 8 March

2012-03-07T20:00:00.000+01:00

Open Heavens Devotional by Pastor E.A. Adeboye

Memorise: And when he was entered into a ship, his disciplesfollowed him. Matthew 8:2

Read: Matthew 8:18-23

In today’s reading, our Lord Jesus Christ was thronged roundabout by a crowd as was their custom. We can learn some salient truths fromthis account. First, many people have different reasons for following the Lord,most of which are selfish. He directly confronted some of such seekers:

Jesus answered themand said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, ye seek me, not because ye saw themiracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves, and were filled. John 6:26

They were part of the five thousand who were fed with fivebarely loaves and two fishes. They were not thrilled by the miracle, but by thefact that they came hungry and He gave them food to eat. To say the least, theLord was disappointed. Why are you seeking the Lord? If it is just for food,you are not better than these and what the Lord said to them, He is saying toyou:

Labour not for themeat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life,which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed.John 6:27

When you seek God, seek Him not just for carnal blessings,but especially for spiritual blessings. Seek to know Him. Seek to hear Hisvoice distinctly. Seek to have Him fill your life. Seek to see more of Hispower operating through you. Seek to carry more of His presence. Why do youseek Him?

Moreover, after the crowd gathered, the Lord ordered them togo to the other side. For many of them, that was the end of their followingChrist at least for that moment. Majority of the crowd went home. They were notprepared to pay any price. Only the disciples followed Him (Matthew 8:23).Certain instructions of God are given to sift between believers and disciples.If you are not prepared to pay a price for your love or service of God, you cannever be His disciple. One mark of Christ’s disciples is that they follow Him. Theyhear His voice and immediately gear their lives in that direction. Are you afollower of Jesus Christ? To what extent do you follow His instructions? If youwill serve God at your convenience, you cannot be His disciple.

KEY POINT:

When you follow Christ, it is what you seek you will get.Many who follow Him end up with mundane things and not Christ because He wasnever their focus.

Bible in one year: Job 28-31

UNCOVERING SECRETS Wednesday 7 March

2012-03-06T20:00:00.000+01:00

Open Heavens Devotional by Pastor E.A. Adeboye

Memorise: The secret things belong unto the Lord our God:but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law. Deuteronomy 29:29

Read: Ezekiel 37:1-14

One Bible character who had access to great revelationsthrough the help of the Holy Spirit was Ezekiel.

The hand of the LORDwas upon me, and carried me out in the spirit of the LORD, and set me down inthe midst of the valley which was full of bones, Ezekiel 37:1

The children of Israel at this point in time were groaningunder Babylonian captivity. They saw themselves as withered away and having nohope (Ezekiel 37:11). It took Ezekiel’s being in spirit, and connecting withthe Holy Spirit to discover what God had in store for them; to help them seethat captivity was not their end but rather God was going to restore them backto the Promised Land (Ezekiel 37:12-14). Our God is the custodian of secrets.However, there are some of His secrets we need for our benefit as well as forthe benefit of our loved ones, church members, etc. Until we through our spiritman link up with the Holy Spirit, we may be denied such revelations. May younot be denied the secrets you need to enter your destiny in Jesus name. Thisexplains why it is good to go into God’s presence on Sunday mornings fasting.Also, it is very beneficial to pray in the spirit at least one or two hoursdaily. How often are you in the spirit?

As a Christian, you choose either to walk in the spirit orflesh (carnal). The spiritual growth of a carnal Christian is pegged, exceptthe fellow decides to deal with the flesh. As long as you allow or toleratecarnality in your life, you may not be able to access deep spiritual truthsthat can change your life and that of others. Galatians 5:17 says the flesh andthe Spirit are in opposition. To walk in the spirit, discipline the flesh. Yourflesh craves for pleasure and loves to be indulged in things contrary to theSpirit. Deny it! The extent of your spiritual ascent is determined by thedegree to which you deny or subdue your flesh. To successfully keep your fleshunder like Paul, you must be prepared to cooperate with the Holy Spirit. Screenwhat you see, read or watch. Destroy any lust-breading material such as intapes, CDs, DVDs, printed matter, internet, etc. Deliberately choose thetelevision programmes you watch. Hear no evil, touch no evil and see no evil.

ACTION POINT:

Every divine secret you need to know but you fail to getwill cause you regrets. Ask for revelation of every secret you need to knownow.

Bible in one year: Job 25-27

IN NEED OF DELIVERANCE? Tuesday 6 March

2012-03-05T20:00:00.000+01:00

Open Heavens Devotional by Pastor E.A. Adeboye

Memorise: Every branch in me that beareth not fruit hetaketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it maybring forth more fruit. John 15:2

Read: John 15:1-2

As seen in Revelation 3:8 and according to 2 Corinthians12:9, if your strength is small but Jesus is with you, you will achieve morethan the fellow who has greater strength but lacks His backing. When God backsyou, He will make things easy for you. In addition, if He is the One who openedthat door for you, no matter what the enemies do, they will not be able to shutit. God can open to you the door of missionary opportunity. From the example ofApostle Paul, while at Ephesus, the Lord opened opportunities to win souls tohim in spite of the opposition. One way God rewards soul winners is by creatingmore opportunities to witness. For those who are shy to preach the Gospel, knowthat the most challenging step is to win the first soul. You will find soulwinning much more easier after you take in your first catch. It is commonlysaid that practice makes perfect. When you win souls, the anointing to rake inmore is released. When last did you win souls to Christ?

Moreover, you will also notice that the more you turn downan opportunity to win souls to Christ, the more difficult it becomes to speakto next soul that comes your way. When this continues, Satan will permanentlyshut your mouth for a whole month, or for a period. This is bondage! If themouth the Lord gave to you to declare Him to men is used for everything elseother than that, you are in bondage. A lot of Christians have been deliveredfrom sin but need deliverance from the spirit of fear refraining them frompreaching the Gospel. Do not deceive yourself that you are pleasing God whenyou do not win souls. You displease God big time! If your position as a pastoror senior pastor is the excuse for not winning souls, it is better you quitthat office and regularly win souls than retain the office without winningsouls.

ACTION POINT:

You are won to win others. Go out and win a soul today!

Bible in one year: Job 21-24

WHEN HE CALLS Monday 5 March

2012-03-04T20:00:00.000+01:00

Open Heavens Devotional by Pastor E.A. Adeboye

Memorise: In the last day, that great day of the feast,Jesus stood and cried, saying, if any man thirst, let him come unto me, anddrink. John 7:37

Read: John 7:37-39

God’s call is unto rest and peace. When He called onerstwhile blind Bartimaeus, it was obvious that certain good things were aboutto follow. First, after that call, Bartimaues threw away his garment of sorrow.Then, He asked him what he wanted. As soon as he mentioned his need forhealing, he got it instantly. He said he was tired of darkness and lightsuddenly came. The same fellow who had been dependent on people, begging dailysuddenly became financially empowered and was able to cater for his needs.Lastly, the same people who hated him for nothing, and asked him to keep quiet,were the people who cheered him up and led him into his miracle (Mark10:46-52). Have you been called by God? Your call is to rest, and peace.

In addition, He calls unto satisfaction. In John 7:37-39, Heinvites you to come and drink so as to quench your thirst. There are manyaround us who do not know the meaning of satisfaction. They have money to buywhatever they want but they are never satisfied. Satisfaction cannot be bought.Jesus is the One who gives satisfaction. I once spent a night at the house of awealthy man. At breakfast time, he spent almost an hour deciding how to preparethe eggs he would eat. When his servants were through with his orders, theyasked me what I wanted and I simply asked them to put everything on the table,for me to choose from. When Jesus calls you, it is a call to satisfaction. Nomatter how little you eat, you are satisfied. In addition, God’s call gives youvictory over death. If you are called by God, you fear no death. Hence, Davidsays,

Yea, though I walkthrough the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou artwith me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Psalm 23:4

His call is all-encompassing. For everyone who has beencalled, God has something special in reserves to back up that call. He has notcalled you to sorrow, demotion, lack or destruction. Accept His call because itis the highest call you can ever have.

KEY POINT:

A call to repentance is the most foundational of all calls.If you have not accepted Jesus Christ, heed this call today.

Bible in one year: Job 18-20

HOLY FRAUD? Sunday 4 March

2012-03-03T20:00:00.000+01:00

Open Heavens Devotional by Pastor E.A. Adeboye

Memorise: Bread of deceit is sweet to a man; but afterwardshis mouth shall be filled with gravel. Proverbs 20:17

Read: Acts 5:1-11

Any gain make from deceit, fraud and lies will be shortlived. Initially, it will appear as an increase but later it will leave youplundered. Some believers exploit fellow believers. This is a great evilbecause any wrong you do to your brother or sister in Christ is done to theLord. Today, many people find it difficult to tell the truth. For instance,when asked to go and buy something for the church, they will not rest untilthey make profit for themselves. Some of those who maintain church equipmentswill present certain equipment as write off, receive money for another one onlyto refurbish that which was condemned. They then go on to use it either forthemselves or put it out for sale. Who owns the equipments? Who owns thechurch? Who do you think you are deceiving-pastor, administrator or Christ?Bread of deceit loads your system with gravel! Each time you deceive the churchauthority to make money for yourself, you give yourself wounds that may neverheal.

A particular brother received a contract for electrical worksin the building of a church. While bidding for it, he presented certainstandard cables and materials but after he was awarded the contract, he boughtsub-standard materials in order to make more profit. Nobody knew. About twoyears after, the building was on fire as a result of the poor materials used.Meanwhile, the contractor had died when his secret deal came to light. A numberof people believed that his deception killed him. Don’t kill yourself. Don’tdie before your time! God cannot bless you if you deceive Him or His servants.Some people deliberately supply inferior goods to the church so that when theyget spoilt, they will be recalled to re-supply such items. This is fraud!Remember Ananaias and Sapphira lied about the offering they gave but neversurvived it! Neither will any who follow evil path.

ACTION POINT:

Ask God to sanitise His church; that all those defraudingHis house and fail to repent and restitute be exposed and disgraced.

Bible in one year: Job 14:17

RESTORATION Saturday 3 March

2012-03-02T20:00:00.000+01:00

Open Heavens Devotional by Pastor E.A. Adeboye

Memorise: For I will restore health unto thee, and I willheal thee of thy wounds, saith the LORD; because they called thee an Outcast,saying, This is Zion, whom no man seeketh after. Jeremiah 30:17

Read: Luke 6:6-10

God ordained the year of jubilee as a time of freedom(Leviticus 25:9-16). It is a time of freedom of movement, freedom to makeprogress and be fruitful, etc. Anyone who is in bondage slaves for his master,but at the dawn of jubilee, he is free to work for himself. Also, the time ofjubilee brings freedom to worship God with your substance as you like. Somepeople desire to worship God but are limited by circumstances. Some peoplereally want to praise God but they have certain situations in their life thatmakes others to question if God is truly in their life. Every reproach in yourlife, the Lord will remove it today in Jesus name. Do you crave the freedom togo in and out, do business, marry and serve God but circumstances are hinderingyou? Today, receive your freedom in Jesus name!

Another thing that is commonly witnessed in the year ofjubilee is restoration. Restoration implies that you once had something; youlost it later got it back. Restoration is needed in different areas of life.Your health could be restored. This means you were once healthy but lost it; inthe year of jubilee you can have it back. In Jeremiah 30:17, God promises torestore health to you. Were you once healthy but now in sickness? This year ofjubilee, the Lord will restore good health to you. In Luke 6:6-10, we read of aman with a withered hand. For it to have withered, that suggests the hand wasonce whole. But when Jesus came into the scene, he restored the hand back toits original form. Is any part of your body drying up? Are you going through awithering experience? In the name of Jesus, command a reversal now. Your healthshall spring forth this season. That hand or leg you could no longer use willbegin to work again. Life is coming into that paralysed hand and leg now. Everygood thing you have lost shall be restored!

PRAYER POINTS:

Father, every good thing my family and I have lost, restorefully to us this year of our jubilee. Thank God for past evangelistic outreachprogrammes during Easter. Pray for uncommon Harvest of souls, protection andprovision for all such programmes this Easter.

Bible in one year: Job 11-13

UNTOUCHABLE Friday 2 March

2012-03-01T20:00:00.001+01:00

Open Heavens Devotional by Pastor E.A. Adeboye

Memorise: And when Aaron and all the children of Israel sawMoses, behold, the skin of his face shone; and they were afraid to come nighhim. Exodus 34:30

Read: Exodus 34:29-35

When you spend quality time in God’s presence it will show.This is explicit from the account of Moses in today’s Bible reading. Afterspending 40 days and nights in God’s presence on Mount Sinai, by the time hedescended, his face shone. The Israelites could not look at him eyeball toeyeball anymore. Not only were they not able to stand God’s presence, theycould not also face His servant. The problem with leaders today is that theyare too busy to stay in and soak themselves in God’s presence. That is whymembers of their congregation hardly regard them. The face of Moses radiatedGod’s glory to the extent that even Aaron – his elder brother and mouthpiece,together with the elders were so afraid that they kept their distance from him.Any leader who wants to maintain his respect and honour will always pay theprice to be in God’s presence. Do I hear you say, “But I fellowship with God,yet I never carry His presence?” If two people go to the ocean to fetch water,one with a spoon and the other with a tanker, you will hardly notice water onthe one with the spoon. But the other fellow will have so much water that everyone will notice. Let people notice God in your life!

You would also notice that the presence of God caused ademarcation between Moses and the Israelites. Suddenly, the one they could talkto any how and touch as they liked just before he climbed the mountain, becamethe one they could not just say what they liked to. They dreaded touching himfor fear that what he now carried could cause them harm. When God commandedthat His anointed should not be touched or harmed in Psalm 105:15, He expectedHis anointed to be carriers of His presence to a point where those who wouldwant to harm them would be afraid of doing so. The presence of God in your lifecan bring about a separation between you and those who would hurt you. Taketime to cry to God for His manifest presence in your life from today!

ACTION POINT:

Ask for the anointing that will make you untouchable to yourenemies. Thank God for adding another year to my life. Pray that as my yearsincrease, so will God increase me in grace, power, knowledge, wisdom and joy.

Bible in one year: Job 8-10

VISITATION IS MANDATORY Thursday 1 March

2012-02-29T20:00:00.000+01:00

Open Heavens Devotional by Pastor E.A. Adeboye

Memorise: And when Jesus was come into Peter’s house, he sawhis wife’s mother laid, and sick of a fever. Matthew 8:14

Read: Matthew 8:14-17

When the Lord visited Peter’s house, you could appreciatethe joy of Peter and his family. From this we learn that leaders should not betoo busy to the extent that they cannot visit their close associates orsubordinates. If there was a man who did not have time to spare because ofministry, it was the Lord. He was thronged about everywhere He went. Yet, Hefound time to visit Peter’s house. As a pastor, find time to visit the homes ofyour ministers. Do you know that some pastors may not know where theirministers live even after staying up to three or four years in the parish? Theyare not following the footsteps of Jesus. Visiting your ministers is important,so out of your busy schedule, create time for it. They will appreciate thevisit and it will endear them to you. In the same vein, ministers should visitthe workers while workers should visit the members. This should be done asoften as possible. The pastor should also make time to visit workers andmembers of the congregation. There are issues that may never arise until youvisit the homes of members.

Moreover, whenever you visit them you must impact somethinginto their lives. Do not go empty-handed. You could buy a loaf of bread or two,or a token gift. If you buy bread, ensure it is not stale but very fresh. Asenior pastor during his monitoring activities visited a church and handed thepastor two loaves of bread. By the following day, they found the bread withmoulds all over and had to dispose them. If not that they knew the man to be aman of honour, they would have thought he had ill intentions towards them.Lastly, it was when the Lord visited Peter’s house that he discovered hismother-in-law was sick. He healed her and she ministered to them. The lessonhere is that there are several people out there who are destined to be ourhelpers but like Peter’s mother, they are sick. They need our ministration forthem to be up on their feet to do what they should be doing to us. That means,until we positively affect some people, they may never become the helpers theywere meant to be to us. Pray for your unknown helpers to receive help from Godand men so that they can help you in return.

ACTION POINT:

Ask God to teach you what to do to people to make helpersout of them.

Bible in one year: Job 5-7

PREVENTING JUDGEMENT Wednesday 29 February

2012-02-28T20:00:00.000+01:00

Open Heavens Devotional by Pastor E.A. Adeboye

Memorise: In the morning sow thy seed, and in the eveningwithhold not thine hand: for thou knowest not whether shall prosper, eitherthis or that, or whether they both shall be alike good. Ecclesiastes 11:6

Read: Genesis 8:8-12

There is great power in a seed. The only way to unleash thepotentials of a seed is by sowing it. If you want your seed to deliver itsharvest to you, sow it. A seed sown is capable of preventing future curses andjudgement from coming on you, your loved ones and even your community. Yourseed can avert negative events or occurrences. Your seed can affect even theWorld! How powerful a seed can be! I Genesis 8:18-22, after Noah and othersurvivours of the flood disembarked from the ark, he gave an offering to theLord of every clean animal and fowl. God perceived a good aroma from thatoffering and He said that in spite of the atrocities of men, He will no longerdestroy the world with flood. There is seed you can give whose aroma will bepleasant to God that He will say that you and your entire generation will nomore experience destruction. Once it has gone out of His lips the case isclosed. While foolish people are bringing curses upon their families andgenerations, wise people are sowing the seeds that would totally eradicatecurses from their lineage.

Similarly, your seed is connected to your future. The seedyou sow today will give you a tomorrow of joy (Ecclesiastes 11:1-4, 6). If youare sowing seeds, you are only guaranteeing yourself of a tomorrow. If you sowseeds, you will expect the harvest, and by the grace of God, you will take yourharvest. Some people do not sow; they think they are smart but they are robbingthemselves of their tomorrow. Some people live for only today, nothing fortomorrow. This is wrong. You have a tomorrow. Sow into it so that it will begreat. Your seed is not lost. It will return to you in a greater form someday.Adam sowed a rib and got a wife. God sowed His Son, and is getting millionsinto His Kingdom. Your seed is not wasted and it is not a depletion of yourresources but what will make your resources to multiply. Your seed will serveyou and you will be the greatest beneficiary of it. Sow today and keep onsowing.

ACTION POINT:

Prayerfully ask God to guide you on what to sow to keep yourentire family or lineage from divine judgement. Go ahead and sow it.

Bible in one year: Judges 11-12

MARKS OF CARNALITY Tuesday 28 February

2012-02-27T20:00:00.000+01:00

Open Heavens Devotional by Pastor E.A. Adeboye

Memorise: For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is amongyou envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal and walk as men? 1Corinthians 3:3

Read: 1 Corinthians 3:1-5

To sustain the release of divine revelations, you must walkin the spirit. It is what you have that you will give out. You cannot be livingin covetousness, lies and disobedience and expect to receive life transformingrevelations from the Spirit. Anyone who desires to enter into supernaturalencounters with the Holy Spirit must first purge himself or herself ofcarnality (2 Timothy 2:21). Are you still carnal? If you are living with“little white lies”, you are carnal. If you envy others or you are jealous oftheir progress, you are carnal. If you encourage or participate in creatingcamps in church on tribal or social status lines, you are carnal. If you hold agrudge against your fellow brother or sister but fail to settle with thefellow, you are carnal. Are you still keeping malice with your offender or seekto revenge the fellow instead of forgiving him or her? You are carnal. If yougratify your flesh in things that stir up unhealthy emotions in your heart, youare carnal.

A carnal Christian is one who after being saved has refusedto mortify the deeds of the flesh. Carnality is very rife among Christianstoday because we think we can eat our cake and have it. You cannot serve Godand mammon at the same time. If you try this, be rest assured that God does notaccept such service. If you are causing divisions or you are insubordinate tohigher authorities, particularly in church, you are carnal. If you find itdifficult to humble yourself under your pastor because he is not financially ormaterially blessed as you, it is because you are carnal. It is carnality thatmakes you engage spiritual assignments with the arm of flesh. Are you yetcarnal? If your purpose for engaging in a particular assignment is to show offyour knowledge, or to be noticed, you are carnal. Carnality destroys yourrelationship with God and finally leads you to hell. Repent today of everycarnal act!

PRAYER POINT:

Father, let every speck of carnality in my life die today.

Bible in one year: Judges 9-10

OBEDIENCE GENERATES STRENGTH Monday 27 February

2012-02-26T20:00:00.000+01:00

Open Heavens Devotional by Pastor E.A. Adeboye

Memorise: And there appeared an angel unto him from heaven,strengthening him. Luke 22:43

Read: Luke 22:39-46

Another lesson on open doors you ought to receive into yourspirit is that even after you receive a permanent open door, the enemy wouldchallenge it. Some people, who by their good works have been given a lastingopen door, are experiencing closed doors for failing to resist the devil. Ifyou let the enemy shut your open doors, don’t expect God to intervene. If yougive room to the devil don’t expect God to stop him. If you want your doors toremain open, do something about it. Vehemently resist the devil, stand on God’sWord, and continue to please God. Always remember you have your part to play inkeeping the doors opened. For instance, anyone enjoying open doors but strayinto a lifestyle of sin will most likely suffer from closed doors.

Sustained obedience and keeping the faith in Christ are alsonecessary in maintaining your open doors, even when you lack the strength. Ifonly you can continue to obey the Lord and refuse to go back to the world, theLord will supply the strength you need to continue, and will keep your doorsopened. At His most trying moment, when the Lord could see His ordeal immediatelyahead of Him while praying in Gethsemane, He was at crossroad. He was tornin-between obeying the voice of His Father and beating a retreat. He neverprayed so hard. He lost so much strength, was in agony and depressed, yet Hestill decided to please God. An angel was immediately released to strengthenHim. Obedience releases strength. The weak but holy and obedient church inPhiladelphia never lacked the strength to perform because their obediencegenerated strength (Revelations 3:8). Are you weak? Do you have littlestrength? Fear not! Just obey the Lord totally and keep on in the faith ofChrist and strength will come.

KEY POINT:

Obedience and righteousness makes divine power available.

Bible in one year: Deuteronomy 26-28

NO VACUUM Sunday 26 February

2012-02-25T20:00:00.000+01:00

Open Heavens Devotional by Pastor E.A. Adeboye

Memorise: But the Spirit of the LORD departed from Saul, andan evil spirit from the LORD troubled him. 1 Samuel 16:14

Read: Luke 11:24-26

God calls and He recalls. It is however better never to havebeen called or ordained by God, than to be recalled after being called. Why?When the One who called you withdraws from you, a vacuum is left behind and weknow that nature abhors vacuum. So when He leaves, something else will fillthat space. When you turn out the lights, darkness needs no invitation to takeover. When the Spirit of God departed from King Saul, immediately an evilspirit stepped in (1 Samuel 16:14). While God was with Samson, nobody couldwithstand him. He remained a champion. But as soon as God withdrew, he became aweak fellow and his enemies removed his eyes and got him to start grinding cornfor them, turning him into a laughing stock. As long as God is with you, demonswill stay away and keep a safe distance from you, but the moment you break yourlink with God, they will see it and return seeking vengeance. Are you toyingwith sin? Repent and stabilize your faith in Christ so that you do not provokethe unwanted in your life.

God’s call is a call to rest and peace (Matthew 11:28-30).If there is anyone who sincerely desires to take away your heavy burdens, it isthe Lord. Some people consider ministry a burden. No! It is an easy yoke. It isa light burden. Why? It is because the One who gives you the task is also thereto supply all you need to perform it, as well as help you carry it. If you havethis understanding, you will never fail or fall in ministry. If you leaveJesus, Satan will bring back his former load and add much more to it, to apoint that it will be difficult to lift your head. Are you burdened by thedevil? I command every satanic load on you to be lifted today! Receive yourdeliverance but stay in Christ. Accept His love and peace and stay there. ObeyHis Word and closely watch your link with Him ensuring that it does notdisconnect.

PRAYER POINTS:

Lord, any vacuum in my heart that is yet to be occupied byJesus, let it be completely filled by Him today. Thank God for past SpecialHoly Ghost services. Pray for a mighty move of God’s power at this year’sSpecial Holy Ghost service.

Bible in one year: Deuteronomy 23-25

TARGET THE ROOT Saturday 25 February

2012-02-24T20:00:00.000+01:00

Open Heavens Devotional by Pastor E.A. Adeboye

Memorise: Go, I pray you, prepare yet, and know and see hisplace where his haunt is, and who hath seen him there: for it is told me thathe dealeth very subtilly. 1 Samuel 23:22

Read: 1 Samuel 23:19-24

To effectively deal with a problem, wisdom demands that youtake it from its root. A tree that is cut down does not cease to grow. Withtime, it gets nourishment from its source and springs up again. The only timeyou are assured of total victory is when the enemy is uprooted. It is not enoughfor Goliath to fall. He can rise again after recovering strength. Until thehead is off, there should be no celebration. Many of us still engage inpremature celebration of victory. Put such celebrations on hold until victoryis total.

Some brothers from the same parents struggled through life.One of them was a pastor. The difficulty encountered in that family negativelyaffected his ministry. Growth was hampered and he struggled with his finances.At a point, out of frustration, he cried out to God to reveal the root cause ofhis situation. The Lord asked him to go and see his mother back home. Onvisiting her, he narrated the ordeal of all the siblings and demanded to know whatcould be the cause of the lack of progress in the family. She told him the onlything she could recall took place several years before while she was aspinster. Her parents were wealthy and quite influential. An incident occurredinvolving their family, which led to the death of a member of one of the lessprivileged families in the neighbourhood. But instead of proper restitution orjustice from the court of law, her family used their wealth to bury the matter.What they thought was over unknown to them was just beginning. The aggrievedfamily made a certain pronouncements against her family. They said if there wasno more wealth in that family, they would cease to oppress the poor. Sincethen, wealth, progress and the likes became a rarity. After deliberations, theydecided to trace that family. They found one aged man still alive. When confrontedwith facts of the case, the man confirmed it. They asked how they could righttheir wrong and he said the victim of the oppression had not been buried forlack of money. He said if they can give him befitting burial, they would beleft off the hook. They did. Not long afterwards, wealth, prosperity andprogress returned to their family. The pastor’s ministry witnessed a boom andbecame largely successful. Many people are where they are in spite of fasting,deliverance and other efforts because attempts at resolving their matter arenot getting at the root. Ask God to unveil the root of that problem to you.Take necessary corrective measures and you will be free.

PRAYER POINT:

Father, show me the root cause of that persistent problem inyour life.

Bible in one year: 1 Peter 1-2

ARE YOUR HANDS TIED? Friday 24 February

2012-02-23T20:00:00.000+01:00

Open Heavens Devotional by Pastor E.A. Adeboye

Memorise: The slothful hideth in his bosom; it grieveth himto bring it again to his mouth. Proverbs 26:15

Read: Judges 15:11-19

One of the forces capable of tying a man’s hands ispoverty. Several people would like to build churches for God, but for poverty.Some people would like to dance all the way from their village to our annualConvention if only they could afford the bus fare. Some believers grieve overthe needy state of fellow believers, and the church of God, but they arehelplessly tied down by poverty. Everything tying your hands shall be removedtoday in Jesus name. In 1 Kings 17:10-12, when the man of God came to the widowof Zarephath, and requested for food, she told him, she would have loved tospend lavishly on him but her hands were tied. Poverty keeps its victims asservants of those that have already escaped from its prison. You shall escapefrom the prison house of poverty in Jesus name.

Another thing that can bind a man’s hands is sickness. Thesick lacks physical energy and vitality to undertake basic assignments. InMatthew 8:14-15, Jesus paid a visit to Peter and met his mother-in-law bedridden. She knew she was supposed to entertain her guest. She desired to do sotoo. But she could not get up from the bed until Jesus healed her. Immediatelyshe was healed, she ministered to the Lord. Some ministers and workers are notin excellent state of health. This is seriously affecting their secular andministerial performance. They are willing but the hands of their well being aretied. There is no way you can fulfill your destiny if your health is tied. Somehave died out of ill-health without completing their assignments. That shall notbe your portion. Every sickness tying your well being is destroyed. From nowon, you will live in sound health. Your body shall be strong. Your body willremain strong until you fulfil your destiny and assignment. You are releasedfrom the clutches of sickness and diseases today!

ACTION POINT:

Ask God to destroy forces limiting your potentials in everyfacet of life.

Bible in one year: Ruth 1-4

IS GOD’S PRESENCE VISIBLE? Thursday 23 February

2012-02-22T20:00:00.000+01:00

Open Heavens Devotional by Pastor E.A. Adeboye

Memorise: Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John,and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled; andthey took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus. Acts 4:13

READ: Acts 4:12-14

God’s presence is perceivable. Its effect can be so strongthat people around you will notice it. The presence of God with Joseph wasnoticed by his master (Genesis 39:3). When God is with you, people will know.You cannot feign God’s presence for long. When Samson lost the presence of Godand was awakened from sleep, he shook himself and did his usual exercises andgymnastics, yet God was nowhere to be found (Judges 16:19-20). God is not inthe superficial activities. It is either He is with you or He is not. And ifyou claim He is with you, why is it that those around you cannot notice Him inyour life? Whatever is covering God’s presence in your life shall be consumedby fire. When people know that God is with you, they will be very careful aboutwhat they do to you or with you.

The effect of God’s presence was also perceivable in thelife of Peter and John after a miracle took place in the early church. Apopular lame man of over 40 years was healed. This news was all over town andbeing grieved by it, the religious leaders of their day arrested Peter andJohn. As they cross-examined them, they realised they could not speak Queen’sEnglish. They were uneducated in the things of men but they also realised thatthey had been schooled by Jesus. At this time, the Lord had ascended, yet, theunbelieving temple leaders could testify that they had been with Jesus. Inother words, they were carriers of His presence. You can be a carrier of Hispresence irrespective of your academic, social or financial status. Can it besaid by people around that you had been with Jesus? When last did you tarry inHis presence for hours, days weeks or months?

PRAYER POINT:

Father, from today, let it be visible that I have been withyou. Make me a carrier of Your uncommon presence.

Bible in one year: Judges 5-8

COLOUR YOUR THANKSGIVING Wednesday 22 February

2012-02-21T20:00:00.000+01:00

Open Heavens Devotional by Pastor E.A. Adeboye

Memorise: Offer unto God thanksgiving; and pay thy vows untothe most High: Psalm 50:14

Read: Psalm 50:10-15

A leper came to meet Jesus asking for healing in Matthew8:2-4. After receiving his healing, the Lord had a charge for him:

And Jesus saith unto him, See thou tell no man; but go thyway, show thyself to the priest; and offer the gift that Moses commanded, for atestimony unto them. Matthew 8:4

First, we learn from verse 3 of this account that if you aretruly anointed of God, you will not be afraid to lay your hands on the sick andpray for them as the Lord commanded. There are some believers who out of fearrefuse to lay hands on the sick using 1 Timothy 5:22 as an excuse. But Mark16:18 says as a sign that you have believed in Christ, you shall lay hands onthe sick and they shall recover. While care should be taken as to who you allowto lay hands on you, your laying of hands on the sick is in agreement withScriptures. Except the Spirit specifically checks you against doing so to aparticular individual, you can go ahead and obey the Lord, lay hands and prayfor their healing. That personal contact is an avenue by which the anointingcan be released to those who need it.

Another lesson from this story is that the Lord approves ofyour thanksgiving offering after God has done something spectacular for you. Hetold the erstwhile leper to go and offer the gift Moses commanded according tothe law. When God does something spectacular in your life, give Him thanks in aspectacular way. Do not stop at saying, “Thank you”. You could colour yourthanksgiving by the gift that follows it. On thanksgiving service days, inaddition to verbalising your thanks, singing and dancing, come to Him with asizeable thanksgiving offering. After surviving the flood, Noah offered to Goda violent thanksgiving offering that insured the earth against possibledestruction by means of a flood. Your thanksgiving can be in cash or in kind.The size of your thanksgiving offering may really be stating the depth of yourappreciation to God.

KEY POINT:

Give a gift as part of your thanksgiving. Let yourthanksgiving take a visible shape.

Bible in one year: Judges 1-4

CARNALITY KILLS REVELATIONS Tuesday 21 February

2012-02-20T20:00:00.000+01:00

Open Heavens Devotional by Pastor E.A. Adeboye

Memorise: Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: forit is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. Romans 8:7

Read: Romans 8:6-9

If you are satisfied with your past and presentachievements, it is obvious you may not achieve more. There is no way you canrise above your present level if where you are is seen as your best. With onesermon, Peter had 3000 converts. If such a number comes to the Lord at ameeting today, we would consider it a feat and begin to celebrate our “success”to the detriment of greater successes. Not Peter! He did not stop. At anothertime he preached and 5000 converts came. Yet, he craved for more! You wouldobserve that the early church experienced an ever-increasing grace hence theycontinued to soar. As you hunger and thirst for more of God in your life fromtoday, you shall be filled. It is a good thing to hunger and thirst for spiritualthings (Matthew 5:6).

Our Lord Jesus Christ grants us access to God the Father bythe instrumentation of the Spirit.

For through him weboth have access by one Spirit unto the Father. Ephesians 2:18

John was in the spirit when he was taken into the deeperrevelations of God (Revelation 4:2). If you want to encounter God and thethings of the Spirit in a new dimension, you must be prepared topart ways with carnality. A carnal Christian is led by the flesh, manipulatedby lust and destroyed by pride. Carnality puts enmity between the carnalChristian and God. How would God reveal His secret to His enemies? To operatein the spirit, you must be born again, and baptized or filled with the HolySpirit. You must maintain a heart that is right before God, feed regularly onHis Word and obey Him. You must avoid every tendency to make you yield to theflesh in situations like when you are provoked to speak ill-advisedly by theactions of others. Avoid quarrels and strife. Follow peace with all men. Letyour mind be focused on Christ and channel your desires to Him. Spend time tothank Him, praise and worship Him. Be sensitive to the voice of the Spirit andleave no stone unturned in your quest for God.

KEY POINT:

Engaging the flesh cannot deliver the things of the Spirit.Flesh breeds flesh and the Spirit breeds the things of the spirit.

Bible in one year: Luke 1-3

WORKS AND OPEN DOORS Monday 20 February

2012-02-19T20:00:00.000+01:00

Open Heavens Devotional by Pastor E.A. Adeboye

Memorise: I know thy works: behold, I have set before theean open door, and no man can shut it: for thou hast a little strength, and hastkept my word, and hast not denied my name. Revelation 3:8

Read: Jeremiah 35: 16-19

God opens doors for His own. Today, many who have beenblessed with open doors have seen such doors shut right before their eyes, andthey begin to ask themselves what has gone wrong. If a door the Lord opens toyou shuts, there should be a reason for it. God can open doors for you in anyarea of life. From the Lord’s letter to the church in Philadelphia, we knowthat it is not God’s will for a door He has opened to you to be shut(Revelation 3:8). God is not happy if He heals you and you lose the healing.God is not happy when you lose an opportunity, gift, grace or other blessingsHe has given you. Has any door the Lord opened to you been shut? It shallreopen this season in Jesus name.

The type of door God opens to you and how long it remainsopen are a function of your works. Some doors may give the recipient thebenefits of a week, month, year or years. But there is a type of work thatproduces for God’s Kingdom, which could make God to open a door that cannot beshut. Before you complain about how short-lived a particular opening was, askyourself: “Were my works supposed to fetch me something better?” If two peopleask God for open doors in their finances and they both have cars and one sows#1000 while the other sells his car and sows all the proceeds, they could bothget the openings they desired from God, but they will experience varyingconfigurations. By your works, what kind of openings are you calling for? Hasthe Lord opened a door to you that is gradually closing? Could it be that yourline of credit has run out? Pay the price in praising and worshipping Him. Givemore sacrificially, win more souls, obey Him more and serve Him morefaithfully. Every door that was closing shall be reopened in Jesus name. Likethe Rechabites, you can open a permanent door to yourself and your family.

ACTION POINT:

Prayerfully ask God to help you identify the specific worksyou need to engage in to keep your open doors, permanently open.

Bible in one year: John 14-17

ANY DISCONNECT? Sunday 19 February

2012-02-18T20:00:00.000+01:00

Open Heavens Devotional by Pastor E.A. Adeboye

Memorise: Therefore the children of Israel could not standbefore their enemies, but turned their backs before their enemies, because theywere accursed: neither will I be with you any more, except ye destroy theaccursed from among you. Joshua 7:12

Read: Joshua 7:1-12

God calls the weak and foolish so that He can demonstrateHis power through them (1 Corinthians 1:27-28). The more you relate to Him asweak and foolish, by being completely obedient to His commands, the more Hewill use you for His glory. It is however worth knowing that, He who called canalso recall. If you fail Him, He reserves the right to recall you. Eli sufferedthis fate. After God had promised that his house will continually stand beforeHim, God beat a retreat in 1 Samuel 2:30. He said. “Be it far from me” becausethey failed to keep their part of the bargain.

Similarly, when God called Joshua to step into the shoes ofMoses, He promised to be with him and that no man would be able to withstandhim (Joshua 1:5). But much later, when somebody touched what belonged to God,He withdrew from them and they became prey to the weakest of their enemies.Joshua realized this and fell on his face and asked what was wrong and why God hadsuddenly withdrawn from them. God replied that because they had done what Hewarned them against, He would no more go with them except they performedrestitution of that which was illegally taken (Joshua 7:1-12). In our day,there are some mighty men of God who earned great names for themselves, but atsome point, they commercialised the anointing and God withdrew from them. Theymay still be doing all the acrobatics on stage like Samson after losing hishair. They may still have great oratory prowess. They may even dress morepowerfully and back themselves up with a powerful media ministry but unknown totheir viewers, listeners and congregations, the anointing has left; it’s nowall sweat. You know that if a fan is turned off, the blades will still continueto rotate for a while in spite of the disconnect with the power source. Isthere a disconnect between you and your Source? Have you noticed that you areno longer hearing from God as before? Do you feel He has withdrawn? Go back toHim as a matter of urgency and seek His face asking for mercy. Be prepared todo whatever He says you should.

ACTION POINT:

Examine yourself to find out any possible disconnect fromGod and ask for a reconnect.

Bible in one year: John 11-13

CAPTIVES OF GREED Saturday 18 February

2012-02-17T20:00:00.000+01:00

Open Heavens Devotional by Pastor E.A. Adeboye

Memorise: He that is greedy of gain toubleth his own house;but he that hateth gifts shall live. Proverbs 15:27

Read: Proverbs 1:10-19

A common problem among those who desire to be rich is greed.According to Proverbs 1:10-19, the greedy will stop at nothing in their bid toget rich quick; all they are focused on is their goal and nothing must stopthem. A greedy person does not mind shedding innocent blood. All those who areinto advanced fee fraud commonly known as 419 in Nigeria, are motivated bygreed. Similarly those who engage in profiteering – who obtain excessiveprofits are motivated by greed. Greed makes people to over-value the worth oftheir products or services. Quite a number of contractors who make supplies togovernments are guilty of greed. They inflate the prices of their goodssometimes charging even more than 1000 percent. A greedy person also will notkeep to agreements. He will violate every business agreement in order to makemore money. He does not care if relationships of several years are destroyed aslong as he is able to cheat his partner and get more if not everything. Are yougreedy of gain? What effect has greed had on you? Repent today and restitute.

The greedy fellow is blinded from seeing the evils comingupon him. Greed can easily trigger a loss. When you over price your goods, youturn away those who should have patronized you and introduced you to otherpeople. Greed can rob you of opportunities. Proverbs 1:19 says greed graduallyerodes the life of the greedy. According to Proverbs 15:27, it is greed thatmakes people to take or ask for bribes, the same greed will cause them andtheir families lots of pain. The greedy fellow lives in fear. Many times, theybecome victims of hired assassins as the ones they have cheated attempts tohave their pound of flesh. No greedy person can truly live in peace or enjoytheir ill gotten wealth as they live in fear. The blood of the innocent victimsof the greedy haunt them continuously. The greedy is an enemy of God and man.Men will curse such a man (Proverbs 11:26) and the judgement of God is on sucha person (Ezekiel 22:12-14). Have you been greedy? Has your greed made you tooffend others? Repent and restitute your ways. Return what you have acquiredunjustly from your victims and make your ways right before God. After this, becontent with what God gives to you.

PRAYER POINT:

Every trace of greed in my life, Father, uproot and destroyit today.

Bible in one year: John 7-10

BEAUTIFYING OTHERS Friday 17 February

2012-02-16T20:00:00.000+01:00

Open Heavens Devotional by Pastor E.A. Adeboye

Memorise: They shall take up serpents; and if they drink anydeadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, andthey shall recover. Mark 16:18

Read: acts 3:1-8

One way you will be remembered is how your life impactedothers for good. It is very easy to forget those whose lives made no differenceto the lives of others. How meaningful is your life? What legacy are youleaving behind for prosperity? I once visited a town for a programme. This townafter being carved out to form part of a new state for some years, had no pipeborne water. I was told of a particular tree there that defied every effort tobring it down. On getting back home after concluding our programme, the windbegan to blow, ushering in a terrible storm which uprooted the tree. Every eviltree affecting your life and family shall be uprooted by fire.

In Acts 3:1-8, we read the account of a man born lame, who wasregularly laid at the gate called beautiful. Everyday, he saw people going inand out of church, and heard beautiful music but could not respond to these. Hesaw everything but could not participate in it. But one day, Peter and Johntouched him, the anointing flowed into him and the one who had been there formany years could no more remain at the same spot. Do you know that there aremany people who are waiting for you to touch them like the duo touched thislame man? Make a demand on the anointing in you today. Go out and obey God’ssimple command by speaking forth the Word and laying hands and you will see theWord transform the lives and circumstances of the people. There is power in theWord but if it is not released, it remains empty. Yes, like Peter and John, youcan make lives beautiful. When you bear fruits in this area, God will replenishyou to bear more fruits. God is ready to use you but are you prepared to paythe price? Are you satisfied with the low level of anointing you are operatingwhen you can operate at a higher level? Ask God for more of His power today.Spend more time studying His Word. Consecrate time to seek His face and worshipHis Majesty on High. Then go and look for those that need the Lord’s touch andimpact them.

PRAYER POINT:

Father, from today, make me restless until I positivelytouch the lives of others with what you have deposited inside of me.

Bible in one year: John 4-6

PROSPERITY IS FOR ALL Thursday 16 February

2012-02-15T20:00:00.000+01:00

Open Heavens Devotional by Pastor E.A. Adeboye

Memorise: Thou openest thine hand, and satisfiest the desireof every living thing. Psalms 145:16

Read: Psalms 145:14-16

The ability to remain where God wants you to be for theperiod He wants you there will go a long way to affect your destiny.

And the LORD was withJoseph, and he was a prosperous man; and he was in the house of his master theEgyptian. Genesis 39:2

Joseph had a dream of his life which he held unto. In spiteof the fact that he had been sold into slavery, he knew that dream will stillcome to pass as long as he remained in God’s will and stood in righteousness.Joseph knew he was in Potiphar’s house for a divine purpose. He accepted it andremained there whether the going was good or bad. He waited patiently to learnwhat God wanted him to learn from his master. This is an area many believershave difficulty with today. Some people change their place of work withreckless abandon, not caring whether God wants them to go or not. As long asanother offer that comes their way has a marginal salary increase, off they go.Not Joseph! If you are ever jumping, you may completely get out of God’s willand miss your destiny. Stay where you are except God says otherwise!

From our Bible reading we also learn that prosperity isneeded both by the poor and the rich. If you think it is only the poor thatneed to be prospered, you are joking. The truth is that while the poor needsprosperity to come out of poverty, the rich needs it to prevent them from goingback to poverty and to stay competitive. An adage says: He who is down needsfear no fall, but the one who is up will dread falling down. When God prospersthe poor, he becomes rich; when the rich is prospered, he becomes wealthy. Thewealthy also needs to stay competitive by moving to the next level throughprosperity. God is concerned about prospering you irrespective of the level youare currently operating. It is the same God who prospers the poor that prospersthe rich. Hence, you need to stay close to God, hear His Word, praise andworship Him, obey him, pay your tithes and sow your seeds. Do all He says youshould do and you will move up.

KEY POINT:

If you do not stay where God expects you to be, His richeswill not follow you to where you are.

Bible in one year: John 1-3

INCREASING FOLLOWERSHIP Wednesday 15 February

2012-02-14T20:00:00.000+01:00

Open Heavens Devotional by Pastor E.A. Adeboye

Memorise: When he was come down from the mountain, greatmultitudes followed him. Matthew 8:1

Read: Matthew 8:1-4

From the gospels we understand that our Lord Jesus Christhabitually went to the mountain to seek the face of His Father and tofellowship with Him. Whenever He went to meet His Father, He recharged Hisspiritual battery and by the time He descended, He came with solutions for alland sundry. In the instance cited in our Bible reading, when He descended,great multitudes followed Him. One revelation from this is that, mountain topexperience is a prerequisite for great followership. Many pastors and churchfounders love to have large crowds but how many of them pay the price bystaying regularly with Him in His presence? It is either you spend more time inthe presence of your Caller and Divine Employer so that He connects you withthose who would be under your fold, or you will get the crowd by going to thedevil to enchant people. Unfortunately, some people say they are leaders ofGod’s church yet they do charms or take specially prepared anointing oils andsoaps from the pit of hell to manipulate God’s people. Others bury live cows in thepremises of their church so that the number of maggots that it breeds becomesthe number of followership they will get. Some even do charms for their membersnever to leave their churches. All such leaders are in Satan’s employ. If youare tied down by such satanic ministers, receive your deliverance today inJesus name!

If great crowds always followed Jesus and He lives in you,then you can be rest assured that all you need is to let Him increase inside ofyou and the crowd will come. Do you know that as you spend time in God’spresence, the Lord will dispatch angels to bring people to you? Some years ago,a particular policeman shared how the Lord sent a number of people to ask himwhere he lived. He never knew them neither did they know him before then. Buthe was one brother who walked close with God. People heard a voice telling themto go to his apartment in the barracks and to specifically ask for him. As theyheeded the voice and traced him, he prayed with them and God solved theirproblems. As you spend more time in God’s presence, He will send more people toyou. The secret of the crowd is with Jesus. Follow His example today.

PRAYER POINT:

Father, as I spend more time in Your presence, let angelstake over the publicity of my house fellowship, church business, skills andgifting.

Bible in one year: 2 Samuel 22-24