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

REVIVAL THROUGH PRAYER – Thursday February 4th 2016
REVIVAL THROUGH RETREAT – Wednesday February 3rd 2016
INTIMIDATED? – Tuesday February 2nd 2016
REASON FOR MIRACLES (Teens)– Thursday 4th February 2016
LET THE FIRE FALL (Teens) – Wednesday 3rd February 2016
ARE YOU FRUITFUL? (Teens) –Tuesday 2nd February 2016

REVIVAL THROUGH PRAYER – Thursday February 4th 2016

Posted: 01 Feb 2016 12:34 PM PST

REVIVAL THROUGH PRAYER

Memorise: After two days will be revive us: in the third day he will raise us up,

and we shall live in his sight. Hosea 6:2

Read: Hosea 6:1-6, 6 Come, and let us return unto the Lord: for he hath torn, and he will heal us; he hath smitten, and he will bind us up.

²After two days will he revive us: in the third day he will raise us up, and we shall live in his sight.

³Then shall we know, if we follow on to know the Lord: his going forth is prepared as the morning; and he shall come unto us as the rain, as the latter and former rain unto the earth.

⁴O Ephraim, what shall I do unto thee? O Judah, what shall I do unto thee? for your goodness is as a morning cloud, and as the early dew it goeth away.

⁵Therefore have I hewed them by the prophets; I have slain them by the words of my mouth: and thy judgments are as the light that goeth forth.

⁶For I desired mercy, and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings.

Bible in one year: Matthew 25:31-26:68, Job 15:22-35

MESSAGE!!!

Prayer is a divine mechanism that God gave to Christians as a means of communicating with heaven. It is also a very powerful weapon for spiritual warfare. A man who has a fervent prayer life walks with God; no journey can be more blessed and productive than the one taken with the Almighty God through prayer. Simple prayers offered for individuals, the local community, the nation and the Church were responsible for much of the great miracles and moves of God in different parts of the world in history. The Bible in James 4:2 says,

"Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not."

James 4:2

This passage states clearly that we could so much desire a thing to the point of killing for it, but this does not guarantee that we will get that desired thing. The only thing that guarantees our getting a lasting blessing is to ask in prayer.

When we speak of a revival, it must be clear to all that there is never such a thing as a revival if it does not start with prayer. Every revival in history came to be as result of prayer. The great revival under Jonathan Edwards in the eighteen century kicked off with his famous call to prayer. David Brainerd, Charles Finney, the Wesley brothers, the great revival of 1930 in Nigeria, and the one that gave birth to the Redeemed Christian Church of God, all started with prayer. As a matter of fact, every true awakening and revival always begins with prayer. The big question therefore is; do we need revival now?

Taking a cursory look at happening around the world, we will see clearly that what the world needs now is revival, more so when we consider happenings within the body of Christ. Things have deteriorated so badly, both the laity and clergy have departed from the path of holiness and truth. Today, the fruit and gifts of the Spirit are only evident in the lives of very few Christians. Many genuinely born again Christians are not living in sin but they are cold and operating far below expectation. The only solution to the problem of the Church now is revival. We must pray that God should revive us again, break through our self-centred daily routines, and fill us with the fire of revival as of old in Jesus' name.

God is especially pleased to answer any prayer that is focused on the revival of God's work and God's people. In my personal experience, fervent prayers always preceded every great move of God. Even prophecies and revelations of God must be prayed into physical manifestation. Therefore as individuals, we need revival in our personal lives, we need revival in our local communities, and we need revival in our nation. The Church of God also needs revival for renewal, rededication and spiritual empowerment.

Prayer Point

Father, please revive us again, fill us with the fire of revival for renewal and spiritual empowerment in Jesus' name.

REVIVAL THROUGH RETREAT – Wednesday February 3rd 2016

Posted: 01 Feb 2016 12:32 PM PST

REVIVAL THROUGH RETREAT

Memorise: Wilt thou not receive us again: that thy people may rejoice in thee?

Psalm 85:6

Read: 1^st Kings 19:4-8, ⁴But he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a juniper tree: and he requested for himself that he might die; and said, It is enough; now, O Lord, take away my life; for I am not better than my fathers.

⁵And as he lay and slept under a juniper tree, behold, then an angel touched him, and said unto him, Arise and eat.

⁶And he looked, and, behold, there was a cake baken on the coals, and a cruse of water at his head. And he did eat and drink, and laid him down again.

⁷And the angel of the Lord came again the second time, and touched him, and said, Arise and eat; because the journey is too great for thee.

⁸And he arose, and did eat and drink, and went in the strength of that meat forty days and forty nights unto Horeb the mount of God.

Bible in one year: Matthew 23:37-25:30, Job 15:7-21

MESSAGE!!!

All human beings have an intense desire to connect to God. One vital element that is required to connect to God is a nice quiet atmosphere, devoid of daily concerns, where one can ruminate over spiritual truths. Meanwhile, it is often difficult to create such within the unrelenting activities of one's daily life. This is why a retreat comes in handy. A spiritual retreat could be defined as a sustained period of quiet, uninterrupted time for a person to be reflective and receptive in God's presence. It offers a time to leave daily concerns, to connect with one's spiritual self, and to be attractive to the needs of one's soul and spirit. People seeking for a time of retreat often locate a retreat centre or a specific geographical place that offers an atmosphere conductive for quite reflection. The search for spiritual retreat has taken many to Prayer Mountains and remote solitary places.

Mount Carmel is best known as the site of Elijah's battle against the prophets of Baal. However, the fact that Elijah and Elisha frequently returned to Mount Carmel is an indication that they were using the mountain for spiritual retreat. The overall purpose of a spiritual retreat is to be transformed in whatever manner God chooses. Withdrawing to a place of spiritual retreat offers a time for refreshment and nourishment of life, a time to experience a continual sense of God's presence that could become a constant reality in everyday life. Acts 3:19 says,

"Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord"

Therefore, a time of spiritual retreat is a time for sober reflection, repentance, rededication, revival and rejuvenation. The book of 1^st Kings 18:20-46 showed us the structure and pattern of a spiritual retreat. First, Elijah rebuilt the ruined altar to Yehweh, symbolising repentance and rededication of Israel to God. Then, he dug a trench around the altar and poured 12 jars of water on the sacrifice, the wood, and the altar, filling the trench, symbolising the activities of the Spirit. Finally, he called on Yehweh, who answered immediately by fire that consumed the whole sacrifice, including the water, the wood, and the stones of the altar. This was immediately followed by heavy rains after three and half years of drought. There was great celebration as the people rejoiced in the Lord for a time of refreshing. A spiritual retreat always leads to celebration.

A spiritual retreat is also used a pursue personal holiness and to stay connected to God. Several passages in the Gospels according to Saint Mark and Matthew, give the account of Jesus retreating to pray. This point out the importance of spiritual retreating to Christians. Every child of God, as a matter of necessity, must constantly create time for spiritual retreat, seeking the face of the Lord for cleansing, renewal, re-dedication, and spiritual empowerment

Prayer Point:

Father, please revive me again, that I may experience a time of refreshing from above in Jesus' name.

INTIMIDATED? – Tuesday February 2nd 2016

Posted: 01 Feb 2016 12:30 PM PST

INTIMIDATED?

Memorise: Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring

lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour 1^st Peter 5:8

Read: 1^st Kings 19:1-4, 19 And Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, and withal how he had slain all the prophets with the sword.

²Then Jezebel sent a messenger unto Elijah, saying, So let the gods do to me, and more also, if I make not thy life as the life of one of them by to morrow about this time.

³And when he saw that, he arose, and went for his life, and came to Beersheba, which belongeth to Judah, and left his servant there.

⁴But he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a juniper tree: and he requested for himself that he might die; and said, It is enough; now, O Lord, take away my life; for I am not better than my fathers.

Bible in one year: Matthew 21:28-23:39, Job 14:18-15:6

MESSAGE!!!

Discouragement is usually defined as a lack of courage, a state of mind which is marked by fear of failure and loss of hope. Discouragement is one of the powerful weapons commonly used by the devil to keep children of God from fulfilling their purpose. Satan used it against the Israelites to prevent them from entering Canaan because they were intimidated by the circumstances surrounding conquering the Canaanites; the Canaanite cities were very large, well fortified, and seemingly un-defeat-able. These caused the heart of the Israelites to melt within them to the extent that they lost faith in the Word of God, and could not act on the promises of God.

Discouragement is failure to live by faith because it usually leads to doubt, and an inability to view circumstances around us from a divine perspective. Discouragement is therefore a sinful state of mind that is unable to adjust to disappointments and unfavourable circumstances in line with the Word of God and His promises.

It is important to note that discouragement is a powerful weapon of intimidation in the hands of the devil. It usually comes whenever a person has an important objective to achieve. For example, Israel had an objective given to them by God; the walls of Jerusalem were to be rebuilt. As the people embarked on the project with vigour and determination, they were faced with opposition from enemies and even fellow Jews. The situations become intimidating to the point of demoralisation as recorded in Nehemiah 4:10-23. At a point, some of the workers became discouraged while the wall was yet half finished, then the opposition intensified their attack using fear and intimidation as the chief weapon. All these were masterminded by the devil to make it impossible for the Jews to rebuild the wall of Jerusalem at that time. 1^st Peter 5:8-9 says,

The Bible admonishes us to be sober, vigilant, and watchful, always ready to resist and confront anyone that may want to weaken our hands from doing whatever assignment the Lord has committed to us.

By the grace of God, the success story of the Redeemed Christian Church of God is being told all over the world today, but when we first started, the steps that God used to bring in the results that are being celebrated were terribly criticised both within and outside the Church. I decree that all oppositions to your success and breakthrough will be silenced today in Jesus' name.

Prayer point

Father, don't let me ever fall for discouragement from satanic intimidation.

REASON FOR MIRACLES (Teens)– Thursday 4th February 2016

Posted: 01 Feb 2016 12:26 PM PST

REASON FOR MIRACLES (teenagers)

Memorise: Then Jesus told him, "Because you have seen me, you have believed;

blessed are those who have not seen yet believed." John 20:29

Please Read: John 11:43-45 ⁴³And when he thus had spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth.

⁴⁴And he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with graveclothes: and his face was bound about with a napkin. Jesus saith unto them, Loose him, and let him go.

⁴⁵Then many of the Jews which came to Mary, and had seen the things which Jesus did, believed on him.

Bible in one year: Jeremiah 28-29; Acts 20:17-35

MESSAGE!!!

A miracle is an extra ordinary extra special event that can only be done by God. For it to happen, God changes things around.

Why will God put so much work into performing a miracle?

Ø That people might believe in Him (Exodus 4:1-9)

Ø Out of love and care for people that are suffering (Luke 7:11-15)

Ø To show that someone is a true man of God (Act 2:22)

Ø When people have strong faith in God

Ø When people are hopeless and desperate for help.

Miracles are real and still happens. We thank God that in our ministry, creative miracles still happens. To gain the love and care of God, you need to have a relationship with him by being born again. Top that up by being totally a strong faith in the name of Jesus; Being a witness of Jesus, telling people of His goodness and mercy and finally praying always – you are a sure candidate for a miracle.

Prayer point

Father, please settle my case today; visit me with a divine miracle in Jesus' name.

LET THE FIRE FALL (Teens) – Wednesday 3rd February 2016

Posted: 01 Feb 2016 12:25 PM PST

LET THE FIRE FALL (teenagers)

Memorise; Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Christ

Jesus. 1^stCorinthians 5:18

Please Read: 1^st Kings 18:36-39, ³⁶And it came to pass at the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that Elijah the prophet came near, and said, Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel, let it be known this day that thou art God in Israel, and that I am thy servant, and that I have done all these things at thy word.

³⁷Hear me, O Lord, hear me, that this people may know that thou art the Lord God, and that thou hast turned their heart back again.

³⁸Then the fire of the Lord fell, and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood, and the stones, and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench.

³⁹And when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces: and they said, The Lord, he is the God; the Lord, he is the God.

Bible in one year: Jeremiah 26-27; Acts 20:1-16

MESSAGE!!!

The term 'fire of God' is often used in the Bible to show: God's presence, God's power, God's judgment and His anointing. Let's use Prophet Elijah as a model.

1) He waited for the night time before repairing the broken altar.

2) He rebuilt the altar in the name of the Lord.

3) He did everything step-by-step following God's instructions.

4) He prayed in thanksgiving in God's name. Then God answered by 'fire'

What to do: Repair your worship time with God; make sure you do not do anything that displeases God; read and obey the instructions given in the Bible, pray and wait for answers. When you wait, fire will fall just like on Pentecost day (Acts 1:4).

What are the benefits: Overflowing anointing, hearing directly from God, healing, miracles, signs and wonders.

Prayer Point

Jesus, you are the one who baptised with Holy Ghost and with fire; please saturate my life with your fire.

ARE YOU FRUITFUL? (Teens) –Tuesday 2nd February 2016

Posted: 01 Feb 2016 12:23 PM PST

ARE YOU FRUITFUL? (teenagers)

Memorise: He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch

that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. John 15:2

Please Read: Luke 13:6-9, ⁶He spake also this parable; A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came and sought fruit thereon, and found none.

⁷Then said he unto the dresser of his vineyard, Behold, these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and find none: cut it down; why cumbereth it the ground?

⁸And he answering said unto him, Lord, let it alone this year also, till I shall dig about it, and dung it:

⁹And if it bear fruit, well: and if not, then after that thou shalt cut it down.

Bible in one year: Jeremiah 24:25; Acts 19:21-41

MESSAGE!!!

The word 'Be fruitful' is a commandment and a blessing. God expect all His creation to have fruits. Jesus confirmed this in John 15:8 when He said that people that bear fruits are God's disciples. The fig tree in today's reading is expected to have fig fruits. We are expected to use our skills, talents, education, knowledge, wisdom and money to bless God's people. When we do this, we will win more souls to the Kingdom

The parable of talents in Matthew 25:14-30 confirms this. You are never too young to use your talent so make good use of every opportunity that comes your way. For you to do this successfully, you need to be genuinely born-again. You must have a relationship with God: accept Him as your Saviour; live by His laws and desire to please Him always. As you do your best in these ways, He will give you the grace to produce many fruits to His glory.

Prayer Point

Father, please make me fruitful in every area of my life in Jesus' name.