Skip to main content

UNUSUAL APPROVAL Sunday 20 February

Open Heavens Devotional by Pastor E.A. Adeboye

MEMORIZE: “For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.” (Ps. 30:5).

READ: 1 Samuel 1:12-17

O
ne of the ways of discerning your day of favour is when you receive an unusual approval. One person who got an unusual approval was Hannah. She travelled to Shiloh every year without much to show for it. Yet, she persisted until that glorious day. Her situation moved her to the point of praying differently. Though her lips moved, her voice was inaudible. Initially, Eli the priest thought she was drunk, but on realizing that she was sane, and only appeared drunk by reason of her intense burden and prayer, he endorsed her request with his priestly authority. She conceived at long last!

Why was this an unusual approval? Eli was old and had lost his ability to discern spiritual things. This was why he mistook a woman who was deep in prayer for a drunk. His spiritual dullness persisted even after the birth of Samuel; hence, it took him so long to realize that God was calling the young boy. Eli was present but God had to look for someone else to speak to. In that backslidden state and in the throes of God’s imminent judgement on his family, God still used him to approve Hannah’s request. This tells us that when your day of favour comes, God can use a spiritually insensitive or even backslidden pastor to endorse your request. In other words, the spiritual state of your leader may not stop God’s purpose in your life when your day of favour comes. Even when God has stopped using a particular vessel, He could choose to use him once more for the purpose of meeting you on your day of favour. However, you have to earn it. Some people get tired too soon. If they come to a church meeting once, twice or a few times and nothing happen, they call it quits. If Hannah had stopped going to Shiloh, she might never have received the unusual approval that broke the power of barrenness from her life. Do you get discouraged after a few trips to the Holy Ghost services, conventions or congresses? Don’t lose hope! Your miracle will reach you on your day of favour as long as you continue to make yourself available in His presence. The Lord will remember you this season.

KEY POINT
Do not give up!

Bible in One year: Josh. 22-24

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

BENEFITS OF UNITY Sunday 27 November

Open Heavens Devotional by Pastor E.A. Adeboye MEMORIZE: “Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven.” (Matt. 18:19) READ: Acts 2:1-4 U nity is a powerful force in the universe. However, uniting against God, His Word or His children causes God to arise in defence of His Name. This is the other side of power of unity. Barring this, unity can accomplish almost anything on the face of the earth. In Genesis 11:5-6, God said that if the people of the earth were left with one language and as united as they were in building the city and tower, they will be unstoppable. The united are unstoppable. Unity is a powerful tool for achieving plans and purposes. But if operated in righteousness within the Christian fold, it is even more powerful. “Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it sha...

DANGERS OF LOVING THE WORLD Sunday 4 December

Open Heavens Devotional by Pastor E.A. Adeboye MEMORIZE: “For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the father, but is of the world.” (John 2:16). READ: 2 Timothy 4:10-11 W hen you love the world, it can affect salient arrears of your life. This is why we must pray for leaders to shun worldly lusts and focus on the things of God. The love of the world can stand between you and your requests. A leader who loves the world will be incapable of making effective intercession for the flock. The love of the world also terminates spiritual life. The fellow who loves the world will find his or her love for God ebbing by the day. With love for the world, it will be impossible to love God with all your heart. Yet, God demands 100% love from you. “And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might” (Deut. 6:5). “For Demas hath forsaken me, ha...

YOUR VOICE SHALL BE HEARD Wednesday 26 October

Open Heavens Devotional by Pastor E.A. Adeboye MEMORIZE: “As soon as they hear of me, they shall obey me: the strangers shall submit themselves unto me.” (Psalm 18:44). READ: Psalm 18:43-45 W hen Bartimaeus was steps away from his breakthrough, the crowd around him shouted him down. But by the grace of God, he doubled his efforts and cried out the more. He simply told the crowd: ‘If you think you have heard noise you have not heard anything yet’. The reality is that if you need help and send a faint cry in the midst of a crowd, they will want to shut you up. But if your cry is unparalleled, defying the voices of the opposition, there would be a general consensus by the crowd for you to be attended to, at least so that they can have their peace. This season, by the mercy of God, there will be a meeting of the crowd hindering your blessing and their consensus would be that you receive immediate attention. Another lesson from this story is that while peop...