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

DELIVERANCE THROUGH PRAYER – Monday February 8th 2016
COMMISSIONED BY THE HOLY GHOST – Sunday February 7th 2016
REVIVIAL BY THE WORD OF GOD II – Saturday February 6th 2016
REVIVAL BY THE WORLD OF GOD I- Friday February 5th 2016
REMEMBER NOW (teens)– Monday 8th February 2016
THE HERITAGE OF THE LORD (teens) – Sunday 7th February 2016
YOUR HORN SHALL BE EXALTED (teens) – Saturday 6th February 2016
UNPRECEDENTED EVENT (teens) – Friday 5th February 2016

DELIVERANCE THROUGH PRAYER – Monday February 8th 2016

Posted: 04 Feb 2016 12:18 PM PST

DELIVERANCE THROUGH PRAYER

Memorise: Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye

may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. James 5:16

Read: Acts 12:1-8, 12 Now about that time Herod the king stretched forth his hands to vex certain of the church.

²And he killed James the brother of John with the sword.

³And because he saw it pleased the Jews, he proceeded further to take Peter also. (Then were the days of unleavened bread.)

⁴And when he had apprehended him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four quaternions of soldiers to keep him; intending after Easter to bring him forth to the people.

⁵Peter therefore was kept in prison: but prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him.

⁶And when Herod would have brought him forth, the same night Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains: and the keepers before the door kept the prison.

⁷And, behold, the angel of the Lord came upon him, and a light shined in the prison: and he smote Peter on the side, and raised him up, saying, Arise up quickly. And his chains fell off from his hands.

⁸And the angel said unto him, Gird thyself, and bind on thy sandals. And so he did. And he saith unto him, Cast thy garment about thee, and follow me.

Bible in one year: Mark 5:21-6:56, Job 18:5-19

MESSAGE!!!

If children of God would take time to study the Word of God and pay great attention to His person, ways, attributes and commandments, the world would be a much better place. Prayers will be answered quickly and Christians will revel in the glory and favour of God. We will partially know the reason(s) behind God's actions and what to do at any time to move His hands in our favour. By the grace of God, anyone that is conversant with the History and development of the Redeemed Christian Church of God will agree, without any doubt that God has constantly revealed His mind to us in the place of prayer. May His name be praised forevermore in Jesus' name.

A careful study of the story of Hezekiah in Isaiah 36-38 reveals two important factors that lead to God's deliverance through prayer. The first is recorded in Isaiah 37:20, where Hezekiah asks God to deliver Israel for His own sake and not theirs:

"Save us from his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that you alone are the Lord"

Isaiah 37:20

God responded by saving them for His glory. There is no greater and stronger foundation for our salvation than this. It is by His grace and it is accessible to all human beings without any qualification. It is open to the poor as well as the rich; it is open to men and women of all ages, race and background. Not because we deserve it, but to show that God is a merciful God who delights in showering blessings on His children.

The second factor is found in the same story. Hezekiah first prayed for Jerusalem's existence that was being threatened and God graciously answered and saved Jerusalem, again he prayed for mercy and elongation of his own life and God answered too. In both cases, God's deliverance came in direct response to a humble and desperate prayer. God will always respond to the desperate requests of His children because Jesus is our sinless high priest who makes it possible for us to approach the throne of grace with confidence.

The New Testament reveals a similar pattern in the book of Acts 12:1-8;

"Peter therefore was kept in prison: but prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him."

Acts 12:5

The Lord answered the prayer of the Church with the miraculous deliverance of Peter. Here again, God answers the desperate prayer of His people for the glory of His Name. I therefore decree, as you make your request known to God this day, He will answer you by fire with signs following in Jesus' Name.

Prayer Point

Father, please don't let me ever suffer any kind of defeat in Jesus' name.

COMMISSIONED BY THE HOLY GHOST – Sunday February 7th 2016

Posted: 04 Feb 2016 12:16 PM PST

COMMISSIONED BY THE HOLY GHOST

Memorise: As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said,

separated me, Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them. Acts 13:2

Read: Acts 13:1-4, 13 Now there were in the church that was at Antioch certain prophets and teachers; as Barnabas, and Simeon that was called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manaen, which had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul.

²As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them.

³And when they had fasted and prayed, and laid their hands on them, they sent them away.

⁴So they, being sent forth by the Holy Ghost, departed unto Seleucia; and from thence they sailed to Cyprus.

Bible in one year: Mark 3:13-5:20, Job 17:6-18:4

MESSAGE!!!

Fasting is a biblical practice whose interpretation in the Old Testament was slightly different from what it was in the New Testament. In the Old Testament, in addition to being a means of prayer and supplication, fasting is also synonymous with mourning, shame and lamentation. The practice typically took place when a crisis or other significant event became more important than eating. However, the New Testament presents fasting purely as a means of prayer and supplication of mourning, shame or lamentation. As a matter of fact, Jesus taught us to fast without giving neighbours any clues, which means we should look clean and happy as always while fasting.

"Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face; that thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret: and thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly."

Matthew 6:16-18

The above passage forms the basis and model for fasting in the New Testament Church. Fasting is therefore a means of seeking the face of the Lord for divine intervention in human affairs. It is such a powerful weapon of spiritual warfare that Jesus His disciples that some level of miracles may not be possible without adding fasting to our prayers. That is probably the reason why the apostles of Jesus Christ took fasting and prayer seriously after the physical departure of our Lord Jesus Christ. Right from Chapter one of the book of Acts, fasting began to feature in the activities of the disciples, and each time, God responded with great miracles, signs and wonders.

Fasting was especially used by the apostles whenever they wanted God to commission them or needed special instruction or direction. Obviously, the apostles of old and the church at Antioch spent quality time in worship, fasting and prayer, earnestly seeking the Lord's will as they opened themselves to divine direction. Their effort was honoured by God through the power of the Holy Ghost as they received answers to their request by physical manifestation of the power of God in their midst. The apostles would not have been able to do much without the commissioning power of the Spirit of God.

Prayer Point

Sweet Holy Spirit, please don't let me do anything without your

direction and commission in the name of Jesus.

REVIVIAL BY THE WORD OF GOD II – Saturday February 6th 2016

Posted: 04 Feb 2016 12:15 PM PST

REVIVIAL BY THE WORD OF GOD II

Memorise: Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke,

exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. 2^nd Timothy 4:2

Read: 2^nd Timothy 4:1-2, 4 I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom;

²Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long suffering and doctrine.

Bible in one year: Mark 1:1-3:12, Job 16:18-17:5

MESSAGE!!!

Revival by the Word comes through total obedience to the Word of God. It is for this reason that the Scripture admonishes us to preach the Word, which is to propagate the Gospel and spread the good news of our Lord Jesus Christ. We are to be instant in preaching the Word because we do not have the luxury of time or planning for a convenient period. We must be prepared to preach the gospel always without regards as to whether it is convenient or not. Romans 10:17 says:

"So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God."

Romans 10:17

Faith comes only by listening to the Word of God. The conscience of men and women become activated through the hearing of the good news of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. At the hearing of the Word of God, the corrupt and sinful mind of an individual beings to do a self analysis internally. A decision is then reached by the help of the Holy Spirit, personal conviction takes place in the mind and sorrow for sin and repentance follows immediately. All these would not be possible without the act of preaching the word. To this end Romans 10:14 says;

"How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?"

Romans 10:14

The big question here is how shall they hear without a preacher? Our appointed duty is only to preach the Word, the Holy Spirit Himself will take over there. It is important to note that God is not only asking us to preach the Gospel, He is concerned about preaching the right content and applying the right manner in our preaching the right content and applying the right manner in our preaching. We are specifically expected to reprove and rebuke the evils in the life of the people by the Word of God. This is where many in the body of Christ today are falling short of the glory and expectations of God. Sound doctrine and healthy teachings are accurately documented in the Scriptures must be preached always without fear.

We must always bear in mind that our principal assignment is not only to populate the people of God for heaven through correct and unbiased presentation of the truth in the Word of God. By this the people will be exposed to the truth that sets free from sin and all unrighteousness. It is this freedom from sin that leads to peace and joy in the Holy Ghost, followed by the release of abundant blessings from above. As you make up your mind to live in obedience to the Word of God and take every opportunity to share the Gospel with at least one person daily, the glory of the Lord will become manifest in your life in Jesus' name.

Prayer Point

Father, please empower me to preach your undiluted Word always in Jesus' name.

REVIVAL BY THE WORLD OF GOD I- Friday February 5th 2016

Posted: 04 Feb 2016 12:14 PM PST

REVIVAL BY THE WORLD OF GOD I

Memorise: For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any

two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Hebrews 4:12

Read: Nehemiah 8:1-10, 8 And all the people gathered themselves together as one man into the street that was before the water gate; and they spake unto Ezra the scribe to bring the book of the law of Moses, which the Lord had commanded to Israel.

²And Ezra the priest brought the law before the congregation both of men and women, and all that could hear with understanding, upon the first day of the seventh month.

³And he read therein before the street that was before the water gate from the morning until midday, before the men and the women, and those that could understand; and the ears of all the people were attentive unto the book of the law.

⁴And Ezra the scribe stood upon a pulpit of wood, which they had made for the purpose; and beside him stood Mattithiah, and Shema, and Anaiah, and Urijah, and Hilkiah, and Maaseiah, on his right hand; and on his left hand, Pedaiah, and Mishael, and Malchiah, and Hashum, and Hashbadana, Zechariah, and Meshullam.

⁵And Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people; (for he was above all the people;) and when he opened it, all the people stood up:

⁶And Ezra blessed the Lord, the great God. And all the people answered, Amen, Amen, with lifting up their hands: and they bowed their heads, and worshipped theLord with their faces to the ground.

⁷Also Jeshua, and Bani, and Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodijah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, Pelaiah, and the Levites, caused the people to understand the law: and the people stood in their place.

⁸So they read in the book in the law of God distinctly, and gave the sense, and caused them to understand the reading.

⁹And Nehemiah, which is the Tirshatha, and Ezra the priest the scribe, and the Levites that taught the people, said unto all the people, This day is holy unto the Lord your God; mourn not, nor weep. For all the people wept, when they heard the words of the law.

¹⁰Then he said unto them, Go your way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared: for this day is holy unto our Lord: neither be ye sorry; for the joy of the Lord is your strength.

Bible in one year: Matthew 26:68-28:20, Job 16:1-17

MESSAGE!!!

To have a full understanding of the term "revival by the Word of God", we need to carefully consider the various interpretations of the Word of God in the view of the Old Testament and the New Testament. In the Old Testament, the Word of God implied both a word about God and a word from God. In effect, the word of God refers to what God says, and at the same time describes God, His essence and attributes. The New Testament on the other hand, presents the Word of God as a person, the second person of the Trinity. Jesus Christ our Lord, who was with the Father from the beginning of creation. The New Testament presents the Word of God as follows:

"For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: And he is before all things, and by him all things consist. And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the prominence."

Colossians 1:16-18

The special ability of the Word of God to revive is based principally on the fact that He is the source of all things in heaven and earth. Since all things were created by Him, the power to revive is embedded in His creative power. God spoke all things into being by the power of His Word. Since the power to create is greater than the power of His Word. Since the power to create is greater than the power to repair, it is well within the power of the Word to repair and revive a corrupted creature at will.

To this end the Bible says the Word of God is living and active, He has the power to quicken and animate anything He chooses. The Word is able to examine and judge those who hear Him; He does not fail, but always accomplishes the set purpose. The Word of God is in fact a weapon of warfare that is able to penetrate and deal with material objects such as joints and marrow, and even the immaterial word such as the soul and spirit.

The passage further confirms that there is no hiding place for any creature before the Word as all things are made bare and completely exposed before Him. Furthermore, the thought and intents of the heart of men are correctly discerned and decoded by the Word of God.

Dearly beloved, I admonish you to stop playing games with God. Ask God for forgiveness, renewal, revival and re-dedication today. He will answer your prayers beyond your wildest dreams. He will revive you by the power of His Word and give you a new beginning of joy, peace, and prosperity. You will also reign with Him in heaven in Jesus' name.

Prayer Point

Father, please revive me by the power in your Word in the mighty Name of Jesus.

REMEMBER NOW (teens)– Monday 8th February 2016

Posted: 04 Feb 2016 12:12 PM PST

REMEMBER NOW (teens)

Memorise: You who are happy, be happy while you are young, and let your heart give

you joy in the days of your youth. Follow the ways of your heart and whatever your eyes see, but know that for all these things God will bring you into judgement. Ecclesiastes 11:9

Please Read: Ecclesiastes 12:1-7, 12 Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them;

²While the sun, or the light, or the moon, or the stars, be not darkened, nor the clouds return after the rain:

³In the day when the keepers of the house shall tremble, and the strong men shall bow themselves, and the grinders cease because they are few, and those that look out of the windows be darkened,

⁴And the doors shall be shut in the streets, when the sound of the grinding is low, and he shall rise up at the voice of the bird, and all the daughters of musick shall be brought low;

⁵Also when they shall be afraid of that which is high, and fears shall be in the way, and the almond tree shall flourish, and the grasshopper shall be a burden, and desire shall fail: because man goeth to his long home, and the mourners go about the streets:

⁶Or ever the silver cord be loosed, or the golden bowl be broken, or the pitcher be broken at the fountain, or the wheel broken at the cistern.

⁷Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.

Bible in one year: Jeremiah 35:1-37:10; Acts 22:12-29

MESSAGE!!!

A call to remember usually comes with a warning and should be done urgently. Ecclesiastes 12:1 has 'now' next to 'remember' which means, there should be no dilly – dally but done straightaway. Abigail in 1^st Samuel 25:18 knew this and saved her family and herself from being destroyed by quickly taking action. David quickly killed Goliath in 1^st Samuel 17:48-51. Absalom also ran away from Jerusalem to save his life in 2^nd Samuel 15:14. If things are not done at the right time, that opportunity may be gone forever. I pray that you will recover every lost opportunity in Jesus Name.

Time goes so quickly especially when you are young and active. Don't waste it. Now is the time for salvation, repentance and living a life to please God. Now is the time to share the gospel, live a life free from sin, sickness, poverty and failure. Now is the time to enjoy overflowing peace, joy, success, abundant blessings and the anointing of the Most-High God. Don't waste it, be connected to God.

Prayer Point

Father, please destroy the power of procrastination in my life. And let my time for overflowing blessing come now in the name of Jesus.

THE HERITAGE OF THE LORD (teens) – Sunday 7th February 2016

Posted: 04 Feb 2016 12:11 PM PST

THE HERITAGE OF THE LORD (teens)

Memorise: Children are a heritage from the Lord, offspring a reward from him.

Psalm 127:3

Please Read: Psalm 127:3-5, ³Lo, children are an heritage of the Lord: and the fruit of the womb is his reward.

⁴As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth.

⁵Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them: they shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate.

Bible in one year: Jeremiah 33:34; Acts 21:37-22:11

MESSAGE!!!

'Heritage' could be: a special property, inheritance or unique historical monument kept from past generations or a very valuable asset. In the Bible, God commanded Israel to keep a record of historical events, agreements with God, laws and documents. This is their history, very valuable and is their heritage. It is being protected carefully. Anyone that has a relationship with God such as born again Christians and nation of Israel are also God's heritage.

This is an important privilege and honour for us. We should all be grateful for this. We are very important to God – a valuable asset to him. This is why you should be careful how you live, have a relationship with God and do all you can to please Him. That is how you can show your appreciation for making you his heritage. Christian parents know that their children are precious gifts from God. That is why they do all they can to train, nurture and equip them properly. Children are the future of the family and the church.

Action Point

Father, please help me to successfully accept the training I am given and please let your light shine so bright in the life of young people in this generation.

YOUR HORN SHALL BE EXALTED (teens) – Saturday 6th February 2016

Posted: 04 Feb 2016 12:10 PM PST

YOUR HORN SHALL BE EXALTED (teens)

Memorise: Praise the Lord, my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name.

Psalm 103:1

Please Read: 1^st Samuel 2:1-2, 2 And Hannah prayed, and said, My heart rejoiceth in the Lord, mine horn is exalted in the Lord: my mouth is enlarged over mine enemies; because I rejoice in thy salvation.

²There is none holy as the Lord: for there is none beside thee: neither is there any rock like our God.

Bible in one year: Jeremiah 31:31-32:44; Acts 21:17-36

MESSAGE!!!

'Horn' in the Bible is used for three things. 1) To describe a growth on the head of animals. 2) A musical instrument. 3) A container for anointing oil. It is also a symbol of power, help, victory or glory. To lift up the horn shows you are winning but a broken horn shows you have lost. This is why Hannah could say her 'horn is exalted in the Lord'

Psalm 75:6-7 "No one from the east or the west or from the desert can exalt themselves. It is God who judges: He brings one down, he exalts another." The Bible has examples of people that have enjoyed this such as: Abraham, Joseph, Hannah, Moses, Joshua, David and Solomon.

The same God that did this is still alive today; He doesn't change. He is the same yesterday, today and forever. Today, He will visit you with His love, mercy and favour.

Action Point

Learn humility. Humility leads to exaltation.

UNPRECEDENTED EVENT (teens) – Friday 5th February 2016

Posted: 04 Feb 2016 12:09 PM PST

UNPRECEDENTED EVENT (teens)

Memorise: He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, "Quiet, be still" Then

the wind died down and it was completely calm. Mark 4:39

Please Read: Genesis 21:5-7, ⁵And Abraham was an hundred years old, when his son Isaac was born unto him.

⁶And Sarah said, God hath made me to laugh, so that all that hear will laugh with me.

⁷And she said, Who would have said unto Abraham, that Sarah should have given children suck? for I have born him a son in his old age.

Bible in one year: Jeremiah 30:1-31:30; Acts 20:36-21:16

MESSAGE!!!

An unprecedented event is something that has never happened before. E.g. Noah and the flood (Genesis 7), rescuing the Israelites from the Red Sea (Exodus 14), the sun standing still over Gibeon and the moon staying in the valley of Ajalon (Joshua 10:12-13), the virgin birth of Jesus, raising of Lazarus from the dead (John 11) and the resurrection of Jesus (Mark 16:9-10). These events are miraculous.

In the Bible, people that experiences great miracles are history makers. They usually do something wonderful first, then God rewards with a miracle. E.g. What Abraham did in Genesis 22 caught God's attention and he was given a special blessing in verse 16. if you want to receive this, you too must be prepared to be the best in loving God, worshipping Him, trusting Him, having faith in His word and pleasing God in all you do.

Prayer Point

Father, please give me the grace to do something great that will call for an unprecedented blessing in my life in Jesus name.