Open Heavens Devotional by Pastor E.A. Adeboye
MEMORIZE: “Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after
righteousness: for they shall be filled” (Matt. 5:6).
READ: Matthew 7:7-11
God has so much to give but do you have what it takes to
receive from Him? When God was about to turn around the situation of acute
poverty and lack that surrounded the widow of the late prophet in 2 Kings
4:1-7, she was asked to borrow empty vessels. Until they were all filled, the
oil did not stop. The volume of anointing that you can get is a function of how
much you are willing to receive. Similarly, in 2 Kings 2:9-12, Elijah told
Elisha to ask what he wanted. That was an open cheque. Although he asked for a
double portion of Elijah’s anointing, that was still a limited request. He
could have asked for triple portion, or times five or times ten. Although Elijah
said asking a double portion was a hard thing, Elisha still got what he asked
for. If you look through the Scriptures, you will discover that while Elijah
performed seven remarkable miracles, Elisha on the other hand performed 14
outstanding miracles because that was the extent of his request. If he had
asked for times ten, it would have been a hard request but he would have been
given. What kind of requests do you make to God? Some people are afraid to ask God
for what they think is impossible to have for fear of being ignored. The elders
say: ‘If you are going to eat a toad, it is better to eat the one with lots of
eggs; after all, a toad is a toad’.
In 1 Corinthians 12:31, Paul, by the inspiration of the Holy
Spirit, says we should covet the best gifts. In doing this sometimes ago, I
told God I wanted a double portion of the anointing on Elisha plus the double
portion of the anointing on Peter, Paul and the Lord Jesus Christ (while He was
on earth). I asked Him to add up all these and double the result and release it
on me. Then the Lord told me, “You are asking for trouble. People will not
allow you to rest”. I said that would be a good problem than being ignored or
seen as irrelevant. To what extent do you hunger and thirst for God? To what
extent do you thirst for righteousness? You cannot be filled beyond the vacuum
created by your thirst. How thirsty are you?
ACTION POINT:
It is those who ask that receive. You may never get beyond
your request. Ask. Ask big!
Bible in One year: Isa. 64-66
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