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

RECOVER YOUR STOLEN BLESSINGS – Monday March 7th 2016
DEFENDER OF THE DEFENCELESS – Sunday March 6th 2016
LIVING ABOVE NATURAL LIMITS – Saturday March 5th 2016
THE SPIRIT OF EXCELLENCE – Friday March 4th 2016
WORK A DIVINE MANDATE – Thursday March 3rd 2016
A WITNESS OR A BETRAYER? – Wednesday March 2nd 2016
CAST AND CATCH – Tuesday March 1st 2016

RECOVER YOUR STOLEN BLESSINGS – Monday March 7th 2016

Posted: 29 Feb 2016 12:03 PM PST

RECOVER YOUR STOLEN BLESSINGS

Memorise; Like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear

him. Psalm 103:13

Read: 2^ndChronicles 7:12-14, ¹²And the Lord appeared to Solomon by night, and said unto him, I have heard thy prayer, and have chosen this place to myself for an house of sacrifice.

¹³If I shut up heaven that there be no rain, or if I command the locusts to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among my people;

¹⁴If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

Bible in one year: John 17:1-19:16, Job 33:8-18

Time and time again, we have seen God dealing with us as a father deals with his children. This is because we are His children and He is our father. God has been so gracious to us on many occasions. He will not always punish us without showing mercy, even when it is glaring that we deserve condemnation. There are many of us who have lost many precious things due to our rebellion, negligence and carelessness, but our Father is always there to show us mercy and grace. If things are bad and you want a positive turn around, there are steps you must be willing to take to recover all your stolen blessings. God does not want His children to be at the mercy of Satan; the Almighty God is willing and eager to deliver us. You have to first of all acknowledge the areas in which you have given room to the devil, find out that specific area in which you have given room to the devil, find out the specific area you missed it and seek the face of the Almighty God for restoration. God wants you to recover your lost lands, your lost status and all the beautiful accomplishments that you have lost to the devil. The moment you recover these lost grounds, you must say to yourself that you will never be a victim again. The only way to guarantee this is to keep in constant touch with your creator and the restorer of your blessings. You need to love the Lord like never before.

"And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all they soul, and with all thy might" Deuteronomy 6:5

You should make up your mind to obey His voice alone in every area of life. Obedience to the Word of God will lead you into a life of fruitfulness. There are many people who look for God when the devil is dealing with them, but as soon as they are fully delivered from the hands of the devil, they stop doing the will of God. With this kind of attitude, there cannot be complete restoration of lost blessings; you have to remain connected to God by serving Him.

"And thou, Solomon my son, know thou the God of thy father, and serve him with a perfect heart and with a willing mind: for the LORD searcheth all hearts, and understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts: if thou seek Him, he will be found of thee; but if thou forsake him, he will cast thee off forever."

1^st Chronicles 28:9

God has placed conditions for the restoration of lost blessings and these conditions are not as stringent as what people go through in the hands of the devil. We are expected to change our attitudes and actions in order for God to answer our prayers. We are to humble ourselves before him and be fully obedient to His will; there should be practical evidence of humility and obedience to His word. I decree in the name of Jesus, an end has come to those who have been going round in circles. Every curse over anyone reading this devotional is broken in the name of Jesus. In the Name that is above every other name you are moving out of the wilderness and entering into your own land flowing with milk and honey in Jesus' name.

Prayer Point

Father, let my restoration be permanent in Jesus' Name.

DEFENDER OF THE DEFENCELESS – Sunday March 6th 2016

Posted: 29 Feb 2016 12:01 PM PST

DEFENDER OF THE DEFENCELESS

Memorise: There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy

life: as I was with Moses, So I will be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee. Joshua 1:5

Read: Isaiah 49:24-26, ²⁴Shall the prey be taken from the mighty, or the lawful captive delivered?

²⁵But thus saith the Lord, Even the captives of the mighty shall be taken away, and the prey of the terrible shall be delivered: for I will contend with him that contendeth with thee, and I will save thy children.

²⁶And I will feed them that oppress thee with their own flesh; and they shall be drunken with their own blood, as with sweet wine: and all flesh shall know that I the Lord am thy Saviour and thy Redeemer, the mighty One of Jacob.

Bible in one year; John 14:15-16:33, Job 32:15-33:7

God is worthy to be praised at every moment of our lives. He is our strength, our rock, our fortress, our shield and high tower. Proverbs 18:10 tells us that the name of the Lord is a strong tower that the righteous can always run to at any time and remain secure. The Almighty God is the security upon which one should base his life. These days when there is no nation that does not have its own share of the global security crises, it is certain that unless the Lord watches over you, you become vulnerable to the evil events flying around. God is the only guarantee and assurance of our faith; hence, you can be confident that you will always be delivered even in extreme circumstances. Sometimes, God will allow us to fall into a great calamity before He comes visiting. He does this just to reassure you that nothing is over until He says so. He wants us to have an evidence of His deliverance in our lives for future purposes.

Are you in any problem? Don't worry, as long as you are righteous, you can be assured that help is on the way. He rules in the affairs of men to deliver the righteous from calamity. It doesn't matter the magnitude of the problems confronting you, just believe that He is never late. He will stand by you during all the attacks of the enemies. All the lies and ganging up of the enemies against your life may be launched, but you will come out victorious because you have made the Lord your delight. Several times, God will just want to stand by you in order to convince those around you that it doesn't matter how much the waters the enemies want to sink you in is, His faithfulness will always draw you out.

God is King over all nations of the world. He is mightier than those who are playing god in your life. As we saw His acts in the case of Paul and Silas when they were chained in the prison, the Lord will deliver you from every chain that the enemies have put around you in Jesus' name.

Deliverance is of the Lord. It is only the Almighty God that can deliver. There is no pastor or prophet anywhere who can deliver. It is only the Almighty God who can deliver us. He saves not once or twice, but all the time. He can deliver today and if the enemy tries tomorrow, He is still on the throne. All you need to do is to hand over all your enemies to God and begin to praise Him. At the end of the day, you will pity your enemies because the Lord will destroy them so much that you will not see the trace that they ever existed. You can see why it is very good for God to be your battle axe. There is only one deliverer from the forces of darkness – the One by whose Name every knee must bow. It does not matter how defenceless you are, the great defender will fight all your battles in Jesus' name.

Prayer point

Every counsel of the enemies against my life shall not stand in Jesus' name.

LIVING ABOVE NATURAL LIMITS – Saturday March 5th 2016

Posted: 29 Feb 2016 11:59 AM PST

LIVING ABOVE NATURAL LIMITS

Memorise: Jesus saith unto her, saith I not unto Thee, that, if thou wouldest believe,

thou shouldest See the glory of God. John 11:40

Read: Psalm 67:1-7, 67 God be merciful unto us, and bless us; and cause his face to shine upon us; Selah.

²That thy way may be known upon earth, thy saving health among all nations.

³Let the people praise thee, O God; let all the people praise thee.

⁴O let the nations be glad and sing for joy: for thou shalt judge the people righteously, and govern the nations upon earth. Selah.

⁵Let the people praise thee, O God; let all the people praise thee.

⁶Then shall the earth yield her increase; and God, even our own God, shall bless us.

⁷God shall bless us; and all the ends of the earth shall fear him.

Bible in one year: John 12:20-14:14, Job 32:1-14

The presence of God in a life makes the difference. When you carry the presence of God, you will see the invisible and hear the inaudible. Prior to my becoming a member of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, I realized that with all my degrees and certificates, I was still going through a lot of hardship, but the moment I surrendered my whole life to the Lord, I began to experience the supernatural. God saw my hunger for Him and He responded to my needs. God is always ready to do great things through the lives of those who seek Him. The moment you yield totally to Him, you will begin to operate above natural limits. Without this supernatural ability, you will remain a common man and you will always have common results.

In Acts 2:1-4, after the disciples had encounter with the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost, they began to speak with new tongues which turned them into a class of different people. They began to do exploit. The things they could not do before became very easy for them. They were casting put devils and speaking with new tongues. The Lord was confirming their ministry daily with signs and wonders. The moment you believe God and you allow Him to do His will in your life, you will become a visible evidence for the world to see. Your prayers become easily answered and every fear of the impossible will begin to give way to boldness. You will begin to do what you wouldn't have thought you were capable of doing. This is why I am always conscious of His presence in my life, because if His presence is removed, I no longer exist. God does not want you to remain and operate in the valley. If your eyes are set on the Lord, you will discover that the closer you get to Him, the higher and farther away He is.

When we see the miracles of God around us, it means we are beholding the glory of God. As we study the immeasurable miracles of God as recorded in the scriptures and as seen in our everyday life, it bears record of what God is capable of doing. One of my daughters got a report from the doctor saying that she will never be able to bear a child. This report was premised on the fact that her womb was too small to nurture a child to the point of delivery, so she had been having miscarriages whenever the pregnancies got to a certain month. But a medical report is not always God's report, besides, it is whatever report you believe that will manifest in your life, so my daughter believed the report of the Lord and she was getting ready to see the glory of God. At this particular time, she was pregnant and the Lord kept her till the point of delivery. By the time she was about to deliver, this same daughter whose medical report indicated she will never be able to keep a baby delivered four babies at the same time. There is a user of this devotional, I prophesy into your life; every negative report you are carrying that is making you weep shall be rendered useless in Jesus' name. if only you can believe in the Word of God, you will experience the glory of God. God dwells in the realms of the supernatural, and as a child of God, you are expected to experience the miraculous at all times.

Key Point

When you follow God nothing will be able to limit you.

THE SPIRIT OF EXCELLENCE – Friday March 4th 2016

Posted: 29 Feb 2016 11:58 AM PST

THE SPIRIT OF EXCELLENCE

Memorise: For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word

of knowledge by the same Spirit. 1^st Corinthians 12:8

Read: Daniel 6:1-3, 6 It pleased Darius to set over the kingdom an hundred and twenty princes, which should be over the whole kingdom;

²And over these three presidents; of whom Daniel was first: that the princes might give accounts unto them, and the king should have no damage.

³Then this Daniel was preferred above the presidents and princes, because an excellent spirit was in him; and the king thought to set him over the whole realm.

Bible in one year: John 10:22-12:19, Job 31:29-40

One of the gems that made Joshua took over the mantle of leadership from his master was the excellent spirit he carried. Joshua excelled in all matters that most of his age mates and contemporaries. Those who remain in the crowd cannot become excellent in life, because excellence is a private matter, but with a public pronouncement. The spirit of excellence will never permit you to do things at a level which others are comfortable with. You cannot be flocking around the multitude and achieve greatness in life and ministry. This is why Jesus was always withdrawing His disciples to Himself at the point of every exploit. He did not want them to be carried away with the songs of the crowd. He knew the crowd well and he knew that those who were shouting "hail hail" be the ones to say "crucify Him" the next day. Excellence is necessary for anyone to become a useful vessel in the hands of the Almighty God. Excellence is what releases the gem in a man's life and makes him the envy of his generation. The spirit of Excellence is a crucial requirement for being useful and relevant in the scheme of things. It is what puts you on edge in God's programme and makes you a formidable force.

"Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God, even thy God hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows."

Hebrews 1:9

Exploits in life have never been a function of a higher educational qualification or popularity; it is through the spirit of excellence. When you carry the presence of God, it releases the spirit of excellence in you which in turn gives you the wisdom to access the mysteries of life. The presence of God gives you deep insight and wisdom for every difficult situation of life and makes you become a master over situations and circumstances through His presence. You cannot have an excellent spirit and lack understanding. Your level of knowledge will begin to command the attention of all and sundry as we saw when the Queen of Sheba came visiting King Solomon.

Excellence is a goal, so you have to strive for it. Excellence is the attainment of the highest level of perfection in anything you do. It means operating in a class of your own. Those who do things the way others do them cannot become excellent. You have to be willing to go the extra mile. You have to identify your goal and begin to pursue it with vigour. Joseph understood this early and it worked continuously for him until he becomes a reference point in a strange land. Daniel understood this early and he focused on it and remained a formidable force in the reign of three kings. The kings were leaving him behind, but the grace of God upon his life made him relevant under different circumstances. The spirit of excellence will help you to concentrate on your assignment until you become a standard.

However, this spirit can only come from God. If you don't know God, there is no way you can do exploits (Daniel 11:32). I pray that from this moment, as you surrender totally to God, you will begin to experience the miraculous in Jesus' name.

Prayer Point

Father, remove every hindrance on my way to greatness in Jesus' name.

WORK A DIVINE MANDATE – Thursday March 3rd 2016

Posted: 29 Feb 2016 11:56 AM PST

WORK A DIVINE MANDATE

Memorise: But Jesus answered them, My father worketh hitherto, and I work. John

5:17

Read: Genesis 2:8-11, ⁸And the Lord God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there he put the man whom he had formed.

⁹And out of the ground made the Lord God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil.

¹⁰And a river went out of Eden to water the garden; and from thence it was parted, and became into four heads.

¹¹The name of the first is Pison: that is it which compasseth the whole land of Havilah, where there is gold;

Bible in one year: John 8:31-10:21, Job 31:16-28

It is amazing to know that even though the work of creation ended millions of years ago, the creator is still working on His creation. The father has not gone to sleep like many biblical scholars and theologians believe. The trinity is still very much at work. The Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit have not ceased to work amongst men. God, through redemption, is still working today in order to fulfil the reason for which the world was created.

There are many people who in the name of having faith have refused to do anything productive with their hands. They resign to fate and live their lives by chance. That was not the example God laid when He created the world. Despite His sovereignty, His work was still threatened by darkness and it was in the process of still working, that He pronounced the appearance of light. God went through the process of forming man and breathing into his nostrils, before man could become a living soul. God had to grow every tree in the garden before asking man to tender it. If God worked and is still working, what excuses do you have not to work?

Life is beautiful when you are committed to your work. Moses, Daniel and Paul were men who worked for the intellectual good of their time. They had to work hard to know a great deal about the world and the times they were in. through hard work they knew what their contemporaries did not know and this was why they remained relevant till the end of their lives. We should be ready through hard-work to contribute to the church and our immediate environment. There is so much beauty in working. Jesus did not avoid work and it sustained Him. He said that His food was to do the will of God and to accomplish His work (John 4:34). Philippians 2:12-13 enjoins us to work out our salvation with fear and trembling for it is God who is at work in us both to will and to work for His good pleasure.

People are not ready to work any longer. They want to loaf around and settle for overnight miracles, but God does not operate that way. There are principles that must be followed for certain blessings to come your way, and stay permanently. Hard-work does not kill, and those who avoid hard-work at the time they are supposed to embrace it will end up with a hard life. Have you not seen people who at the age when they are supposed to be retired, still struggled to get menial job? Before Jesus healed that man who was born blind in John 9:1-3, Jesus rubbed clay on the man's face which he had to wash off before the physical laws could be set aside in order for him to experience the supernatural law of God. If he had not followed the instructions of Jesus, he would not have been healed. Paul also said

"Whereunto I also labour, striving according to his working, which worketh in me mightily. Colossians 1:29

I want to assure you that as you obey this divine instruction, things will begin to work for you.

Key Point

He who does not work hard now, will retire into hardship later.

A WITNESS OR A BETRAYER? – Wednesday March 2nd 2016

Posted: 29 Feb 2016 11:55 AM PST

A WITNESS OR A BETRAYER?

Memorise: Now he that betrayed gave them a sign, Saying, whomsoever I shall kiss,

that same is he: hold him fast.

Matthew 26:48

Read: John 1:20-34, ²⁰And he confessed, and denied not; but confessed, I am not the Christ.

²¹And they asked him, What then? Art thou Elias? And he saith, I am not. Art thou that prophet? And he answered, No.

²²Then said they unto him, Who art thou? that we may give an answer to them that sent us. What sayest thou of thyself?

²³He said, I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord, as said the prophet Esaias.

²⁴And they which were sent were of the Pharisees.

²⁵And they asked him, and said unto him, Why baptizest thou then, if thou be not that Christ, nor Elias, neither that prophet?

²⁶John answered them, saying, I baptize with water: but there standeth one among you, whom ye know not;

²⁷He it is, who coming after me is preferred before me, whose shoe's latchet I am not worthy to unloose.

²⁸These things were done in Bethabara beyond Jordan, where John was baptizing.

²⁹The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.

³⁰This is he of whom I said, After me cometh a man which is preferred before me: for he was before me.

³¹And I knew him not: but that he should be made manifest to Israel, therefore am I come baptizing with water.

³²And John bare record, saying, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him.

³³And I knew him not: but he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost.

³⁴And I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God.

Bible in one year: John 6:60-8:30, Job 31:5-15

A witness is someone who bears record that Jesus is the Son of God for heavenly objectives to be realised, while a betrayer is also someone who bears the same record but for destructive reasons; so that the objectives of the Devil can be realised. I have a strong conviction within me that when Judas Iscariot was carrying out this destructive goal, he did not know what it would end so badly. He felt he knew Christ through and through. He was a very smart guy who believed that Jesus as usual would find a way of escape from the Roman soldiers, but unfortunately, the story did not end the way he envisaged. Are you a betrayer or a witness? There are many people that started out as witnesses but ended up as betrayers. They were portraying signs which they did not see as too bad. They thought it was not dangerous. They believed that they knew how to help themselves, till they met their fall. May this not be your portion in Jesus' name.

The kiss of Judas was a customary form affectionate greeting among the Jews, and this was the same gesture that Judas used in identifying Jesus to the band of officers and Pharisees. The act of betrayal came from someone who was a companion of Jesus in His ministry. A betrayer could be one of your equals who is not happy with what God is doing in your life. Your betrayer may be your guide or your acquaintance, like we saw in the story of the false prophet and the younger prophet. Those who are most likely to betray you might not be far from those you take counsel from, and walk to the house of God with. This is why you must never allow anything to stand between you and God, because He is the only one who can deliver you from their wickedness and mischief. If you don't know how to call upon God who alone can save you from the hands of betrayers, then you are in trouble.

Amidst the opposition of the unbelieving and disobedient Jews, John the Baptist decided to be a witness. John was not in the palace, his ministry was in the wilderness, yet people were going there to hear the Word of God because he was a true witness of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Though John was not the Elijah they wanted to see, they saw him witnessing about the person of Jesus with the zeal and the power of a prophet. As a witness he was a lone voice in the wilderness. The happenings of his day did not alter his message, and lives were being changed and transformed. He preached repentance and he alerted the minds of the people to the presence of God. Such messages are scarce on the Pulpits of 21^stcentury Pastors and Evangelists. No wonder some are beginning to doubt what they once believed, which is eventually leading them to becoming betrayers rather than witnesses.

Action Point

Are you a betrayer of or a witness the gospel? Pray for me on this my special day, that God should continue to strengthen me as I take the gospel to more nations of the world.

CAST AND CATCH – Tuesday March 1st 2016

Posted: 29 Feb 2016 11:53 AM PST

CAST AND CATCH

Memorise: There is that scattereth, and yet increaseth; And there is that withholdeth

more than is meet, but it tendeth to poverty.

Proverb 11:24

Read: Luke 5:4-7, ⁴Now when he had left speaking, he said unto Simon, Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught.

⁵And Simon answering said unto him, Master, we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing: nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net.

⁶And when they had this done, they inclosed a great multitude of fishes: and their net brake.

⁷And they beckoned unto their partners, which were in the other ship, that they should come and help them. And they came, and filled both the ships, so that they began to sink.

Bible in one year: John 5:19-6:59, Job 30:24-31:4

There are rewards for righteous behaviour and there are punishments for evil deeds. The person who gives freely will never lack good thing while the one who believes that there is wisdom in being stingy will never receive anything. There are some people who mainly focus on their wealth. They are never concerned about the welfare of others. Unfortunately, they are short-changing themselves because when you don't give, you can never have an opportunity to be blessed.

After speaking to them multitude from Peter's boat, He told him to launch out into the deep, and the miracle of that catch was so evident that it had a lasting impact on all the beholders; this is what is considered the quality of a true miracle. There is a user of this devotional, I decree in the Name that is above all names, my Father will give you a mouth-watering miracle in Jesus' name. It doesn't matter how hard things may be, your blessings will be daily manifested to the would in Jesus' name. There is nothing as pleasant as the Lord instructing you. The moment I hear my father instructing me on anything, it doesn't matter how hard it may be, I obey, knowing that it will always end in my favour. The reason some people withhold what they have is because they don't want it to leave their hands, but in the economy of God, whatever leaves your hand does not leave your life, it will always bring forth a great harvest.

From the experience of Peter and his colleagues, their nets broke so bad that they had to beckon on others to help them. I have always said this; there is at least one of my children who when he goes to the bank to deposit money, because of how much the money usually is, the bank closes for 3 days. And I believe this will be your portion in Jesus' name. No matter how hard it is to believe, God is not bothered, because He will still do what He wants to do just to show the world that He is God.

In the words of a hymn writer, you must always remember that you are not your own, you are bought with a price, (1^st Corinthians 6:19-20). Give your whole life to Jesus; let Him take all your moments and your days. Withhold not your hands from moving for Him. Let your feet be swift in His business. The moment we give our lives to the Lord, we become partners with Christ. Just as in a partnership, there are nominal partners and there are active partners. This is equally applicable in your relationship with Christ; you cannot put in your all and lack any good thing. Some people have money, but some of the most precious things in life are priceless. God has divinely selected you so that He can be glorified in your life. Peter waited on the Lord with his boat. He wasn't in a hurry; he did not see himself wasting away while others were busy catching fish, and one instruction from God made the results of others pale in comparison to his. As you wait on the Lord with your sacrifice, service and gifts, the Almighty God who controls the times and seasons will give you an unprecedented breakthrough in Jesus' name.

Key Point

If you honour God, He will honour you in return.