Open Heavens Daily Devotional Messages, By Pastor E.A Adeboye.

A NEW BEGINNING OF FREEDOM – (Open Heavens daily for teenagers 2016) Monday 1st February 2016
DIVINE VICTORY – (Open Heavens daily for teenagers 2016) Sunday 31st January 2016
WONDERFUL RESTORATION – (Open Heavens daily for teenagers 2016) Saturday 30th January 2016
STOREHOUSE 4 WONDERS – (Open Heavens daily for teenagers 2016) Friday 29th January 2016
WORKSHOP FOR WONDERS – (Open Heavens daily for teenagers 2016) Thursday 28th January 2016
WONDERFUL SAVIOUR – (Open Heavens daily for teenagers 2016) Wednesday 27th January 2016
STEP OUT OF DEFEAT – (Open Heavens daily for teenagers 2016) Tuesday 26th January 2016
LOOKING UNTO JESUS II – Monday February 1st 2016
LOOKING UNTO JESUS I – Sunday January 31st 2016
COUNTING YOUR BLESSINGS II – Saturday January 30th 2016
COUNTING YOUR BLESSINGS I – Friday January 29th 2016
MAKING YOUR MARRIAGE WORK II – Thursday January 28th 2016
MAKING YOUR MARRIAGE WORK I – Wednesday January 27th 2016
FREE INDEED – Tuesday January 26th 2016

A NEW BEGINNING OF FREEDOM – (Open Heavens daily for teenagers 2016) Monday 1st February 2016

Posted: 25 Jan 2016 01:31 PM PST

A NEW BEGINNING OF FREEDOM – (Open Heavens daily for teenagers 2016)

Memorise: So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. John 8:36

Please Read: Exodus 15:13-17, ¹³Thou in thy mercy hast led forth the people which thou hast redeemed: thou hast guided them in thy strength unto thy holy habitation.

¹⁴The people shall hear, and be afraid: sorrow shall take hold on the inhabitants of Palestina.

¹⁵Then the dukes of Edom shall be amazed; the mighty men of Moab, trembling shall take hold upon them; all the inhabitants of Canaan shall melt away.

¹⁶Fear and dread shall fall upon them; by the greatness of thine arm they shall be as still as a stone; till thy people pass over, O Lord, till the people pass over, which thou hast purchased.

¹⁷Thou shalt bring them in, and plant them in the mountain of thine inheritance, in the place, O Lord, which thou hast made for thee to dwell in, in the Sanctuary, O Lord, which thy hands have established.

Bible in one year: Jeremiah 19:1-22:10; Acts 18:1-23

MESSAGE!!!

Bible in One Year: Jeremiah 22:11-23:40; Acts 18:24-19:20

Today is the new beginning of freedom. In what way? It could be any of these: recognising you are in bondage; aware that addition of any kind is bondage; rejecting negative labels; deliverance from displeasing God. Today, you will reject any of these in your life in Jesus Name. I decree that God will deliver you from all bondage and give you a new beginning of freedom in Jesus Name.

The Bible in John 4:42 said Jesus is the Saviour of the world and John 8:36 confirms that if He set you free, you are truly free. If you want total freedom from Satan's evil plans, then you need to have Jesus as your Saviour. He has the power to save your soul, set you free from sin and its consequences. He can deliver you from fear of death and any attack from Satan because all power in heaven and earth belong to Him (Matthew 28:18). I therefore decree in the Name that is above every other name: be free from sin, oppression, addition, sickness, poverty and failure.

Action Point

Accept Jesus as your Lord and Saviour today and begin to enjoy a new beginning of freedom.

DIVINE VICTORY – (Open Heavens daily for teenagers 2016) Sunday 31st January 2016

Posted: 25 Jan 2016 01:20 PM PST

DIVINE VICTORY – (Open Heavens daily for teenagers 2016)

Memorise: Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the

name of the LORD our God. Psalm 20:7

Please Read: 1^st Samuel 17:44-50, ⁴⁴And the Philistine said to David, Come to me, and I will give thy flesh unto the fowls of the air, and to the beasts of the field.

⁴⁵Then said David to the Philistine, Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied.

⁴⁶This day will the Lord deliver thee into mine hand; and I will smite thee, and take thine head from thee; and I will give the carcases of the host of the Philistines this day unto the fowls of the air, and to the wild beasts of the earth; that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel.

⁴⁷And all this assembly shall know that the Lord saveth not with sword and spear: for the battle is the Lord's, and he will give you into our hands.

⁴⁸And it came to pass, when the Philistine arose, and came, and drew nigh to meet David, that David hastened, and ran toward the army to meet the Philistine.

⁴⁹And David put his hand in his bag, and took thence a stone, and slang it, and smote the Philistine in his forehead, that the stone sunk into his forehead; and he fell upon his face to the earth.

⁵⁰So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and with a stone, and smote the Philistine, and slew him; but there was no sword in the hand of David.

Bible in one year: Jeremiah 19:1-22:10; Acts 18:1-23

MESSAGE!!!

How do you explain the victory that King Jehoshaphat recorded in 2^ndChronicles 20:15-24? How do you explain confronting the armies of three kings with an orchestra and yet securing total victory? This victory was a wonder because it was divinely procured (obtained and secured through a heavenly source).

Another classical example of the wonders of divine victory is David. If it is not a wonder, how else would you describe a tiny boy killing a giant man as if he was killing a straying lizard on the wall of his father's house? When the Almighty God fights on the side of a person, apart from the fact that victory is sure, the way and manner the victory would be secured will produce wonders. Imagine an ordinary stone in the hands of the anointed of God fell a giant who a whole nation dreaded for 40 days. As a matter of fact, it was the sword of Goliath that eventually severed his head from his body. David believed in his God and he was not disappointed. The Lord fought on David's side, and the battle was decisive.

Action Point

Father, please fight my battles for me and don't let me be a victim of the battles of life.

WONDERFUL RESTORATION – (Open Heavens daily for teenagers 2016) Saturday 30th January 2016

Posted: 25 Jan 2016 01:19 PM PST

WONDERFUL RESTORATION – (Open Heavens daily for teenagers 2016)

Memorise: Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free

spirit. Psalm 51:12

Please Read: Ezekiel 37:1-10, 37 The hand of the Lord was upon me, and carried me out in the spirit of the Lord, and set me down in the midst of the valley which was full of bones,

²And caused me to pass by them round about: and, behold, there were very many in the open valley; and, lo, they were very dry.

³And he said unto me, Son of man, can these bones live? And I answered, O LordGod, thou knowest.

⁴Again he said unto me, Prophesy upon these bones, and say unto them, O ye dry bones, hear the word of the Lord.

⁵Thus saith the Lord God unto these bones; Behold, I will cause breath to enter into you, and ye shall live:

⁶And I will lay sinews upon you, and will bring up flesh upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and ye shall live; and ye shall know that I am the Lord.

⁷So I prophesied as I was commanded: and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and behold a shaking, and the bones came together, bone to his bone.

⁸And when I beheld, lo, the sinews and the flesh came up upon them, and the skin covered them above: but there was no breath in them.

⁹Then said he unto me, Prophesy unto the wind, prophesy, son of man, and say to the wind, Thus saith the Lord God; Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live.

¹⁰So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived, and stood up upon their feet, an exceeding great army.

Bible in one year: Jeremiah 16:14-18:23, Acts 17:16-34

MESSAGE!!!

In today's reading when Ezekiel got to the valley there was a dialogue (exchange of words) between him and the Almighty! This character of God does not mean that He does not know what to do at any given time; He just likes fellowshipping with man. From His dialogue with Ezekiel, the wonder –working drama began.

· Whenever the Spirit of God is upon an individual the fellow is empowered to do the impossible.

· Learn to acknowledge the sovereignty of God.

· We can achieve and succeed when the Spirit of God is present.

· Always prophesy (speak with assurance that a specific thing will happen) good and greatness over your life, career and future.

· I pray for you today that signs and wonders shall be your portion in Jesus' Name.

Prayer Point

Father, please speak to my situation and help not to allow the enemies to destroy my life.

STOREHOUSE 4 WONDERS – (Open Heavens daily for teenagers 2016) Friday 29th January 2016

Posted: 25 Jan 2016 01:17 PM PST

STOREHOUSE 4 WONDERS – (Open Heavens daily for teenagers 2016)

Memorise: The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. Psalm 23:1

Please Read: 1^st Kings 17:12-16, ¹²And she said, As the Lord thy God liveth, I have not a cake, but an handful of meal in a barrel, and a little oil in a cruse: and, behold, I am gathering two sticks, that I may go in and dress it for me and my son, that we may eat it, and die.

¹³And Elijah said unto her, Fear not; go and do as thou hast said: but make me thereof a little cake first, and bring it unto me, and after make for thee and for thy son.

¹⁴For thus saith the Lord God of Israel, The barrel of meal shall not waste, neither shall the cruse of oil fail, until the day that the Lord sendeth rain upon the earth.

¹⁵And she went and did according to the saying of Elijah: and she, and he, and her house, did eat many days.

¹⁶And the barrel of meal wasted not, neither did the cruse of oil fail, according to the word of the Lord, which he spake by Elijah.

Bible in one year: Jeremiah 14:1-16:13; Acts 17:1-15

MESSAGE!!!

The widow of Zarephath's house became this storehouse for wonders. The man of God, Elijah, discovered a barrel of flour and a cruse of oil that were almost empty in this house. However, it was not the prophet but the God of wonders who located that storehouse for wonders, and He sent His prophet there (1^stKings 17:8-9)

Lesson to learn from today's story;

· The widow was willing to surrender to the God of wonders' instructions.

· The woman did not shy away from a difficult assignment.

· She demonstrated, by her actions, that she was a woman of faith.

Fancy submitting your last meal to the Pastor? This was the exact thing the young lad in Matthew 14:17-20 did, and he went home with twelve baskets as the interest on the five loaves and two fishes he lent to the wonder-working Lord. I pray that the Lord will feed you fat even in the time of famine in Jesus' Name.

Action Point

Be more determined to give time, money and service this year. Take a few minutes to pray for the grace 2 give more.

WORKSHOP FOR WONDERS – (Open Heavens daily for teenagers 2016) Thursday 28th January 2016

Posted: 25 Jan 2016 01:15 PM PST

WORKSHOP FOR WONDERS – (Open Heavens daily for teenagers 2016)

Memorise: How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with

power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him. Acts 10:38

Please Read: John 9:1-7, 9 And as Jesus passed by, he saw a man which was blind from his birth.

²And his disciples asked him, saying, Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind?

³Jesus answered, Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him.

⁴I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work.

⁵As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.

⁶When he had thus spoken, he spat on the ground, and made clay of the spittle, and he anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay,

⁷And said unto him, Go, wash in the pool of Siloam, (which is by interpretation, Sent.) He went his way therefore, and washed, and came seeing.

Bible in one year: Jeremiah 11:13; Acts 16:16-40

MESSAGE!!!

There was a man born blind in the Bible and people were asking Jesus Why? Whose fault was it? Jesus' reply was so that God's mighty work will be seen by all. The man received a creative miracle. Like the blind man, how can you become a workshop for the miracle worker?

· Be available

· Surrender yourself for Jesus to work on you – check out John 9:6-7

· Carry out any instructions given to you by God

The Bible is full of several examples; Naaman in 2^nd Kings 5:13-14 nearly missed his miracle because he thought the instructions given to him were not good enough for him. My Pastoral advice to you is that you should exercise complete obedience in humility of God, His word and His ministers if you want to live in the miraculous this year.

Prayer Point

Father, please make me a workshop for your miracles. Let no my hour of miracles pass me by.

WONDERFUL SAVIOUR – (Open Heavens daily for teenagers 2016) Wednesday 27th January 2016

Posted: 25 Jan 2016 01:14 PM PST

WONDERFUL SAVIOUR – (Open Heavens daily for teenagers 2016)

Memorise: For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government

shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, the everlasting Father, The prince of Peace. Isaiah 9:6

Please Read: Acts 2:22-24, ²²Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know:

²³Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain:

²⁴Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it.

Bible in one year: Jeremiah 8:18-10:25, Acts 15:36-16:15

MESSAGE!!!

A major difference between Christianity and other religion is the availability of the Saviour for anyone who needs salvation. As a matter of fact, the essence of true religion is the salvation that it guarantees. Any religion that does not offer the assurance of the salvation, particularly salvation for sin, is a base contraption. Concerning Jesus, the Bible in Matthew 1:21 says that:

"And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins."

Why is Jesus Christ the wonderful Saviour? His confessions and testimony about himself make Him wonderful. Those who witnessed His life testified that He went about doing good (Acts 10:38). My prayer is that if you have not accepted His as the wonderful Saviour, you will do so today.

Prayer Point

Father, I accept your offer of salvation through Jesus Christ my Lord today. Receive me and forgive me as I (re) dedicate my life to you today.

STEP OUT OF DEFEAT – (Open Heavens daily for teenagers 2016) Tuesday 26th January 2016

Posted: 25 Jan 2016 01:11 PM PST

STEP OUT OF DEFEAT – (Open Heavens daily for teenagers 2016)

Memorise: Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy loving kindness: according

unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions. Psalms 51:1

Please Read: 1^st Kings 21:17-29, ¹⁷And the word of the Lord came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying,

¹⁸Arise, go down to meet Ahab king of Israel, which is in Samaria: behold, he is in the vineyard of Naboth, whither he is gone down to possess it.

¹⁹And thou shalt speak unto him, saying, Thus saith the Lord, Hast thou killed, and also taken possession? And thou shalt speak unto him, saying, Thus saith the Lord, In the place where dogs licked the blood of Naboth shall dogs lick thy blood, even thine.

²⁰And Ahab said to Elijah, Hast thou found me, O mine enemy? And he answered, I have found thee: because thou hast sold thyself to work evil in the sight of the Lord.

²¹Behold, I will bring evil upon thee, and will take away thy posterity, and will cut off from Ahab him that pisseth against the wall, and him that is shut up and left in Israel,

²²And will make thine house like the house of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, and like the house of Baasha the son of Ahijah, for the provocation wherewith thou hast provoked me to anger, and made Israel to sin.

²³And of Jezebel also spake the Lord, saying, The dogs shall eat Jezebel by the wall of Jezreel.

²⁴Him that dieth of Ahab in the city the dogs shall eat; and him that dieth in the field shall the fowls of the air eat.

²⁵But there was none like unto Ahab, which did sell himself to work wickedness in the sight of the Lord, whom Jezebel his wife stirred up.

²⁶And he did very abominably in following idols, according to all things as did the Amorites, whom the Lord cast out before the children of Israel.

²⁷And it came to pass, when Ahab heard those words, that he rent his clothes, and put sackcloth upon his flesh, and fasted, and lay in sackcloth, and went softly.

²⁸And the word of the Lord came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying,

²⁹Seest thou how Ahab humbleth himself before me? because he humbleth himself before me, I will not bring the evil in his days: but in his son's days will I bring the evil upon his house.

Bible in one year: Jeremiah 7:1-8:17; Acts 15:12-35

MESSAGE!!!

Samson died with the enemies; this was due to carelessness on his part. If you feel that you have fallen into sin this how to get out, and is also the route to not fall into sin;

· Pay close attention to God's voice (Deuteronomy 28:1). This can come through the Bible, through His messenger or sometimes by God speaking directly to your spirit.

· Be ready to do what God tells you. ( Revelations 2:5)

· Pull yourself together out of any defeat you may have experienced.

David knew this secret and he employed it to his advantage. My prayer for you is that, in whatever area you have suffered defeat; the Lord will restore and grant you permanent victory in Jesus' Name.

Action Point

Call God today to receive you in all areas.

LOOKING UNTO JESUS II – Monday February 1st 2016

Posted: 25 Jan 2016 01:00 PM PST

LOOKING UNTO JESUS II

Memorise: Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; Hebrews 12:2b

Read: Hebrews 12:1-2, 12 Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,

²Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Bible in one year: Matthew 19:1-21:27; Job 14:7-17

MESSAGE!!!

The phrase 'Looking unto Jesus' contains three very important words of salvation, encouragement and direction for daily Christian living. Nicodemus, in his search for the true God and eternal life every human being, approached Jesus for possible understanding. Jesus made the new birth very plain by using an Old Testament illustration of the fiery serpents of brass put on a pole for the Israelites to look upon as recorded in the book of Numbers 21:8-9.

"And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life."

John 3:14-15

As looking unto the brass serpent on a pole in faith brought healing to the children of Israel in the wilderness, so also, whosoever shall look unto the crucified Christ as the Messiah and the Saviour of the world by faith, shall receive forgiveness of sins and be born again.

From time to time in the rigorous journeys of life, we sometimes find ourselves in a state of tiredness and confusion. At such times, Apostle Paul in Hebrews 12:1-2 admonishes us to run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith for encouragement. We are not to look into Jesus for encouragement only; we are also to look into Jesus as our perfect example, so as to follow in His footsteps.

"For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps: Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously"

1^st Peter 2:21-23

Looking unto other gods for deliverance, healing and salvation has brought untold hardship and loss to many, while looking unto great men and women that are successful in life and ministry has resulted in great disappointment, sorrow and pain. As a matter of fact, this has been a major cause of failure in life, but there is no failure or disappointment in Jesus. Looking unto Jesus can only increase your faith and lead to physical and spiritual upliftment.

We are to look unto Jesus in our daily Christian living as the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the End, who provides us with direction through His word. This also brings us in contact with the divine knowledge, wisdom and power of God. An ordinary person therefore, becomes equipped to do exploit of supernatural dimensions.

Prayer Point

Father, please give me the grace to always look unto You for everything I need in life.

LOOKING UNTO JESUS I – Sunday January 31st 2016

Posted: 25 Jan 2016 12:57 PM PST

LOOKING UNTO JESUS I

Memorise: And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the

Son of man be lifted up: John 3:14

²Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Bible in one year: Matthew 16:5-18:35, Job 13:17-14:6

MESSAGE!!!

Human beings have been in search of the way back to their Maker since after the fall. The soul of man pants after the peace that only his Maker can provide. This is the reason man invented means of getting along with God in the name of religion. Unfortunately, man was unable to adequately reach out to his Maker until God in His mercies revealed Himself to us through His Son, Jesus Christ.

"And the Lord God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou? And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself. Genesis 3:9-10

Adam was sent out of the Garden of Eden and he became a wanderer and a destitute of the peace that he once had with his Maker. After many dispensations, God decided to reveal part of Himself to some people who sincerely sought to know Him. He related to Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses and the prophets to mention just a few. They did not only benefit form God's self-revelation; they also helped their generation by pointing them to the Almighty God. Yet, the perfect relationship was not in view then. When the fullness of time came, God became man and lived among men in the person of Jesus Christ. When one of the disciples asked Him to reveal God the Father to them, Jesus said:

"…Have I been so long time with you and yet hast thou not know me, Philip? He that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Show us the Father? Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me?..."

John 14:9-10

Jesus Christ is the perfect revelation of God, the father. He came to reveal the Father to us so that we may know how best to worship Him. It was through His teaching that we know that God is a Spirit and whoever wants to worship Him must worship Him in Spirit. He told us that unless we are born-again, we cannot see the Kingdom of God. Religious activities are exercise in futility without this experience. Not until He came, even Doctors of the Jewish religious laws were ignorant of these principles of God's Kingdom. Therefore we must always look unto Jesus for direction if we want to make it back to the One who created us in His own image. Our text says to look up unto Jesus because He is the author and finisher of our faith.

I encourage someone reading this devotional to look unto Jesus for salvation, for deliverance, for healing, for material prosperity and eternal life.

Prayer point'

Jesus Christ my Saviour, I look unto You today, perfect everything concerning my life please.

COUNTING YOUR BLESSINGS II – Saturday January 30th 2016

Posted: 25 Jan 2016 12:42 PM PST

COUNTING YOUR BLESSINGS II

Memorise: Blessed be the Lord my strength, which teacheth my hands to war,

and my fingers to fight: Psalms 144:1

Read: Psalms 103:1-5, 103 Bless the Lord, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name.

²Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits:

³Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases;

⁴Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies;

⁵Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle's.

Bible in one year: Matthew 13:44-16:4, Job 13:1-16

MESSAGE!!!

Still dwelling on counting your blessings, we must consider some other things as highlighted by the great Psalmist so that we may understand what made him a great worshipper. There are many seen and unseen battles of life that pose to destroy us, and it is the unseen battles of life that pose to destroy us, and it is the unseen Hands of the Almighty God that have kept us alive. For life alone, we must bless the Lord. In our memory verse for today, the Psalmist blesses the Lord for teaching his hands to war and directing his fingers to fight aright. We must realise that not all fighters win in the battles of life, many are destroyed by the hostility of life. This might have influenced David to write:

"Bless the Lord O my soul …. Who redeemeth thy life from destruction…." Psalms 103:4

Considering the numerous battles David fought, particularly against king Saul, one should know

that but for God, David would have died a premature death. David lived to a very old age, though his beloved son overthrew him and sought his life; he survived his external and internal enemies. To him, the kindness God showed to him was not ordinary, it was the loving type. Meaning that kindness has categories! How I wish someone reading this devotional will appreciate God's kindness to him as intensely as David did.

David saw good food, its nourishment and appetite to eat it as blessings from the Lord in verse 5 of our text today. What a grateful creature of the Almighty God David was. There is a story told of a woman, from Ijesaland in the South-West of Nigeria, who was fond of thanking God for good food and the appetite to eat well. Anytime Mama-Ijesa came up for testimony, she would tell of how God provided not only good food but also appetite to eat it. Her Pastor became bored of the one and only testimony of this grateful woman and stopped her from giving testimonies in the Church. Not long after, the Pastor took ill, and on his sick bed, all sorts of food were brought to him but he had no appetite to eat any of them. When Mama-Ijesa came visiting like other parishioners, she innocently asked whether her Pastor was eating well. It was then that the Pastor realised that having good food to eat is not enough, but having appetite to eat it is equally praiseworthy.

Action Point'

Take minimum of 15 minutes to thank God for His Goodness and Mercies over your life and that of your loved ones.

COUNTING YOUR BLESSINGS I – Friday January 29th 2016

Posted: 25 Jan 2016 12:35 PM PST

COUNTING YOUR BLESSINGS I

Memorise: Praise the Lord; for the Lord is good: sing praises unto his name; for it

is pleasant. Psalms 135:3

Read: Psalms 103:1-5, 103 Bless the Lord, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name.

²Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits:

³Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases;

⁴Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies;

⁵Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle's.

Bible in one year: Matthew 12:9-13:43, Job 12:13-25

MESSAGE!!!

Ingratitude is dangerous, particularly when it is directed at God, the Almighty. There are many things we enjoy from God's benevolence, but we take for granted. As we saw in the Bible reading for today, when David seemed to be forgetful of the goodness of the Lord, he decided to preach to his soul. He took his time to list the blessings of God upon his life so that his soul could be grateful for each of them.

The first thing he mentioned was the benefit of forgiveness he enjoyed from the Holy One of Israel. Modern day Christians do not appreciate the blessing of forgiveness like David did. We often take the work of redemption for granted. Anyone who appreciates the agonising death of Jesus Christ on the Cross for the sin of humanity wouldn't want to indulge in sin any more, the apostle asked rhetorically:

"What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?"

Romans 6:1

Only those who take the issue of sin lightly would say, "Let us sin the more, so that we may enjoy

the grace the more", and they shall not be guiltless according to the scriptures:

"For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, But a certain fearful looking for a judgement and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries."

Hebrews 10:26-27

Another blessing David listed in his collection of God's benefits is divine healing. The Psalmist blessed the Lord for healing, whereas, some of us who enjoy divine health have never said thank you to the Giver of good health. The Lord promised that He would not allow us to be plagued with the kind of sicknesses and diseases that the Egyptian suffered and He made bold to say:

"… I am the Lord that healeth thee."

Exodus 15:26

My prayer for someone using this devotional is that the Lord will grant you divine health which is far superior to healing in Jesus' name. However, we must not take God's grace and blessings for granted. We must endeavour to show our appreciation by living for God alone and by glorifying Him in our bodies.

Action Point

Take some time to count the blessings of the Lord upon your life and give Him adequate gratitude in return.

MAKING YOUR MARRIAGE WORK II – Thursday January 28th 2016

Posted: 25 Jan 2016 12:23 PM PST

MAKING YOUR MARRIAGE WORK II

Memorise: And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and

shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh. Matthew 19:5

Read: Ephesians 5:21-25, ²¹Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.

²²Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord.

²³For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body.

²⁴Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing.

²⁵Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;

Bible in one year: Matthew 9:27-12:8, Job 12:1-12

MESSAGE!!!

A marriage that has God in it is the best thing that can happen to any child of God. The Bible says:

"Whoso findeth a wife findeth a good thing, and obtaineth favour of the Lord."

Proverbs 18:22

This scripture unequivocally dismisses the wrong notion of marriage being a burden. For your marriage to work, our memory verse for today reveals the first obligation on the part of the man (the husband) towards his wife: you must strictly adhere to this twin-command – leaving your parents and cleaving to your wife. Some men never leave their parents, particularly their mother. They are "mummy's boys" and after marriage they still 'eat from their mother's pot' on regular basis. This habit destroys a marriage relationship fast.

Unconditional love is another obligation a husband must perform towards his wife. This kind of love will make the man give his entire being to his wife without expecting anything in return. The Bible says:

"Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the Church, and gave himself for it"

Ephesians 5:25

Some men,unfortunately, do not know what it means to be married. Marriage could be regarded as giving of one's self to one's spouse. Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ, gave the real picture of marital obligation when he wrote:

"But I would have you without carefulness. He that is unmarried careth for the things that belong to the Lord, how he may please the Lord: But he that is married careth for the things that are of the world, now he may please his wife"

1^stCorinthians 7:32-33

The truth in the above passage is that a man is under obligation to cater for his wife and to have an unreserved commitment to the joy and well-being of his wife. Some so-called Christians are so careless about their marriage that they neglect the divine mandate of caring for the family. As a result, the wife becomes disillusioned about the faith and the children vow never to follow their father to worship God. At the end of the day, the failure of the family eventually affects their Christian walk and ministry. Love must be experimental and substantial, men must show their love practically, and their spouses will not be in doubt as to whether or not they are loved.

Prayer point

Father, please give me the ability to love my spouse unconditionally.

MAKING YOUR MARRIAGE WORK I – Wednesday January 27th 2016

Posted: 25 Jan 2016 12:21 PM PST

MAKING YOUR MARRIAGE WORK I

Memorise: Who can find a virtuous woman? For her price is far above rubies.

Proverbs 31:10

Read: Ephesians 5:21-25, ²¹Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.

²²Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord.

²³For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body.

²⁴Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing.

²⁵Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;

Bible in one year: Matthew 7:1-9:26, Job 11:7-20

MESSAGE!!!

It takes great commitment to make a marriage successful and blissful. This gift of God demands the commitment of those who are involved. The good thing is that the Bible is not silent on what couples must do to make their marriages work. I pray for couples reading this devotional; your marriage will be highly successful in Jesus' name.

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

"Let the husband render unto the wife due benevolence: and likewise also the wife unto the husband. The wife hath not power of her own body, but the husband hath not power of his own body, but the wife."

1^stCorinthians 7:3-4

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

"For after this manner in the old time the holy woman also, who trusted in God, adorned themselves, bring in subjection unto their own husbands: Even as Sara obeyed Abraham, calling him lord: whose daughters ye are as long as ye do well, and are not afraid with any amazement."

1^st Peter 3:5-6

It is dangerous for a woman to go into a marriage partnership with a man she will not submit herself to. It is better for such a woman not to get married at all. When the Word of God says, "Wives, submit…." Some people take this as a piece of advice. However, it is not a piece of advice, but an express command; it must be obeyed. As a matter of fact, the Bible goes further to reveal the degree of submission; it says: "…. as the Church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything." Years ago, I counselled one of my daughters along this line when she began to have problems with her marriage. Initially, she did not find it pleasant, but I told her that she could not do the contrary if she really wanted her marriage to work. The problem with her then was that she was as highly educated as her husband and she felt she had equal rights with her husband. May the Lord bless your home with eternal peace in Jesus' name.

Action Point

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

FREE INDEED – Tuesday January 26th 2016

Posted: 25 Jan 2016 12:19 PM PST

MAKING YOUR MARRIAGE WORK I

Memorise: Who can find a virtuous woman? For her price is far above rubies.

Proverbs 31:10

Read: Ephesians 5:21-25, ²¹Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.

²²Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord.

²³For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body.

²⁴Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing.

²⁵Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;

Bible in one year: Matthew 7:1-9:26, Job 11:7-20

MESSAGE!!!

1^stCorinthians 7:3-4

1^st Peter 3:5-6

Action Point

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

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