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

FULFILLING GOD’S PURPOSE II – Thursday February 11th 2016
FULFILLING GOD’S PURPOSE I – Wednesday February 10th 2016
VICTORY THROUGH PRAISE – Tuesday February 9th 2016
SOUND OF ABUNDANT RAIN (teens) – Thurs 11th Feb 2016
FAITHFUL CHRISTIAN WORKERS (teens) – Wed 10th Feb 2016
DIVINE ROYALTY (teens) – Tuesday 9th Feb 2016

FULFILLING GOD’S PURPOSE II – Thursday February 11th 2016

Posted: 08 Feb 2016 03:08 PM PST

FULFILLING GOD'S PURPOSE II

Memorise: And the Lord God took the man, and put him into the Garden of Eden

to dress it and to keep it. Genesis 2:15

Read: Genesis 1:26-28, ²⁶And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.

²⁷So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.

²⁸And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.

Bible in one year: Mark 10:46-12:40, Job 20:1-19

MESSAGE!!!

At the beginning of creation and before the fall of man in Genesis chapter three, the instruction given to humanity can be safely classified into three categories. Category one is to cultivate the land and to keep it. The words "subdue", "have dominion", and "rule" are all pointers to what is required to effectively keep the land as steward-kings of God's creation. Category two is the institution of law with the purpose of teaching people to live under authority. The third category is the institution of marriage to expose people to the principle of love and teach people to live for someone other than themselves. From that very beginning, God made it very clear that He is not abandoning us to ourselves to figure things out all alone. He wants us to use everything we have to serve Him and humanity, therefore manual labour or service at this level was not the result of the fall, rather it was part of God's original purpose for humanity. The truth is evident in Genesis 2:15-18, which says:

"And the Lord God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it. And the Lord commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die. And the Lord God said, it is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him."

The starting point of fulfilling God's purpose for anyone therefore, is to be productive. Since we are discussing the very first set of instructions to humanity, obedience to God must necessarily start from here. A true believer is to provide for his near relatives and his immediate family at the same time. It is not by choice; failure to provide for one's family is equal to denial of the faith as stated in 1^st Timothy 5:8:

"But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel."

This is the major reason why believers must be busy doing something worthwhile in life. If a Christian is unable to care for his family, such a person will be unable to love and care for others. The Bible says that such people are worse than infidels. Now it is possible to be in such a state temporarily due to several reasons, but it must not be accepted as permanent status. A faithful Christian will soon find favour with God and man that will pull him or her out of such despicable situation. I therefore prophecy into the life of anyone in such a situation reading this devotional today, the Great Provider will transfer you from poverty to abundance today in Jesus' name. For those that are looking unto God for profitable ventures, receive it now in the name of Jesus. From this day, you will begin to fulfil God's purpose for your life in the mighty name of Jesus.

Prayer Point

Father, please help me to fulfil my purpose in Jesus' name.

FULFILLING GOD’S PURPOSE I – Wednesday February 10th 2016

Posted: 08 Feb 2016 03:06 PM PST

FULFILLING GOD'S PURPOSE I

Memorise: See, I have this day set thee over the nations and over the kingdoms, to

root out, and to pull down, and to destroy, and to throw down, to build, and to plant. Jeremiah 1:10

Read: Jeremiah 1:1-10, 1 The words of Jeremiah the son of Hilkiah, of the priests that were in Anathoth in the land of Benjamin:

²To whom the word of the Lord came in the days of Josiah the son of Amon king of Judah, in the thirteenth year of his reign.

³It came also in the days of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah, unto the end of the eleventh year of Zedekiah the son of Josiah king of Judah, unto the carrying away of Jerusalem captive in the fifth month.

⁴Then the word of the Lord came unto me, saying,

⁵Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.

⁶Then said I, Ah, Lord God! behold, I cannot speak: for I am a child.

⁷But the Lord said unto me, Say not, I am a child: for thou shalt go to all that I shall send thee, and whatsoever I command thee thou shalt speak.

⁸Be not afraid of their faces: for I am with thee to deliver thee, saith the Lord.

⁹Then the Lord put forth his hand, and touched my mouth. And the Lord said unto me, Behold, I have put my words in thy mouth.

¹⁰See, I have this day set thee over the nations and over the kingdoms, to root out, and to pull down, and to destroy, and to throw down, to build, and to plant.

Bible in one year: Mark 9:14-10:45, Job 19:13-29

MESSAGE!!!

Several passage of the Bible confirms the fact that every human being was originally created by God and born into this word to fulfil God's purpose. Colossians 1:16 says;

"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:"

Colossians 1:16

There is nothing like an afterthought with God. Everything He does is purposeful and deliberate. Not only that, He has everything to the minutest detail, precisely tied to time. Ecclesiastes 3:1 says;

"To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:"

From Adam and Eve, to Noah, Abraham, Joseph, Moses, and all the prophets and Kings in the Bible, they all were precisely programmed to come and go according to God's ultimate plan. There is no randomness with God; all things that have ever happened on earth and in heaven were ordered according to His unsearchable wisdom. Act 15:18 says;

"Known unto God are all his works from the beginning of the world."

For example, John the Baptist was selected by God to prepare the way for the Lord by announcing His arrival, confronting the sinfulness and rebellion of that generation and by preaching repentance of sins. Jeremiah's purpose as a prophet of God was clearly described in Jeremiah 1:1-10. These two prophets were able to fulfil God's purposes; they did not at any time jettison their responsibilities. John the Baptist perfectly prepared the way for the Lord without taking upon Himself any additional responsibility beyond that which was ordained from heaven. Immediately he identified Christ, he made it public, he was ready to decrease and stay in the shadows as Jesus began to increase. Bible scholars have several interpretations about the real cause of his death, but at the end, Jesus declared him as the greatest man that ever lived. His greatness must have been tied to the fulfilment of God's purpose for his life.

Jeremiah on the other hand was deliberately setup by God as the national prophet to the nation of Israel in his generation. It was a period of apostasy and God was determined, after many unheeded warnings, to deal with the children of Israel according to their doings. Jeremiah was set over the kingdom of Israel to root out, pull down, destroy, and throw down. He was also permitted to build and plant. The Bible confirmed that though Jeremiah wept much for his beloved country, he faithfully discharged his duties without fear or favour.

God has also setup each of us for His purpose in this generation. Are you fulfilling God's purpose for your life?

Prayer Point

Father, please give me the wisdom, knowledge and boldness to discharge my duties in this world without fear or favour in Jesus'name.

VICTORY THROUGH PRAISE – Tuesday February 9th 2016

Posted: 08 Feb 2016 03:05 PM PST

VICTORY THROUGH PRAISE

Memorise: And when they began to sing and to praise, the Lord set

ambushments against the children of Ammon, Moab, and mount Seir, which were come against Judah; and they were smitten. 2^ndChronicles 20:22

Read: 2^ndChronicles 20:21-24, ⁴¹And Elijah said unto Ahab, Get thee up, eat and drink; for there is a sound of abundance of rain.

⁴²So Ahab went up to eat and to drink. And Elijah went up to the top of Carmel; and he cast himself down upon the earth, and put his face between his knees,

⁴³And said to his servant, Go up now, look toward the sea. And he went up, and looked, and said, There is nothing. And he said, Go again seven times.

⁴⁴And it came to pass at the seventh time, that he said, Behold, there ariseth a little cloud out of the sea, like a man's hand. And he said, Go up, say unto Ahab, Prepare thy chariot, and get thee down that the rain stop thee not.

⁴⁵And it came to pass in the mean while, that the heaven was black with clouds and wind, and there was a great rain. And Ahab rode, and went to Jezreel.

Bible in one year: Mark 7:1-9:13, Job 18:20-19:12

MESSAGE!!!

Victory is generally presented in the Bible as an act of God. From Genesis to Revelation, God is always presented as the source of all victory, which He grants to those who obey His commands and put their trust and confidence in Him. Wherever you turn to in the Scripture, this principle holds true.

"And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it."

Colossians 2:15

In essence, God has destroyed the value and quality of our enemies and has also put their failure, disgrace and shame in open display for all to see. Victory is always presented in the Bible as achieved by God without human intervention. This reality makes it absolutely necessary to praise God whenever we are confronted by the enemy, knowing that victory is assured in Jesus' name.

The Bible also presents praise as a spiritual language that can reach beyond the intellect to touch the heart of God. Whenever God wants to do something really supernatural, He calls for an army of musical warriors, to bombard the stronghold of the enemy. Such was the case in the time of Jehoshaphat King of Judah who deployed divine warriors, and army of worshippers, to march into battle with musical instrument in their hands and songs of praises in their mouths. As they praised and worshiped God, He rose on their behalf and completely destroyed all their enemies. 2 Chronicles 20:22 says:

"And when they began to sing and to praise, the Lord set ambushments against the children of Ammon, Moab, and mount Seir, which were come against Judah; and they were smitten."

What I know for sure is that if you praise God, His enemies cannot stand by. Some 30 years ago, we went to Otukpo town in the Middle Belt Region of Nigeria for a programme, with some students. I planned to talk on divine healing. Then, we began to praise God so intensely that the glory of God descended and I forgot every other scripture I had planned for the sermon except Luke 1:37. Suddenly, there were clusters of students kneeling and praying in tongues though they had never heard of the Holy Ghost baptism before. Others joined them praying in tongues and at the end of the day I could not preach. Go ahead now, praise God until you bring down His glory today?

Key Point:

As you worship God today, He will arise and scatter all your enemies in the mighty name of Jesus.

SOUND OF ABUNDANT RAIN (teens) – Thurs 11th Feb 2016

Posted: 08 Feb 2016 03:04 PM PST

SOUND OF ABUNDANT RAIN (teens)

Memorise: Ask the Lord for rain in the springtime; it is the Lord who sends the

thunderstorms. He gives showers of rain to all people, and plants of the field to everyone. Zechariah 10:1

Please Read; 1^st Kings 18:41-45, ⁴¹And Elijah said unto Ahab, Get thee up, eat and drink; for there is a sound of abundance of rain.

⁴²So Ahab went up to eat and to drink. And Elijah went up to the top of Carmel; and he cast himself down upon the earth, and put his face between his knees,

⁴³And said to his servant, Go up now, look toward the sea. And he went up, and looked, and said, There is nothing. And he said, Go again seven times.

⁴⁵And it came to pass in the mean while, that the heaven was black with clouds and wind, and there was a great rain. And Ahab rode, and went to Jezreel.

Bible in one year: Jeremiah 43-44, Acts 24:1-21

MESSAGE!!!

As a child of God, we know that whatever He says in the Bible is the truth. We know that He keeps all his promises.

How was Elijah able to control the day's event?

First, he showed his faith in the word of God by encouraging the king – Ahab to start celebrating the coming of the rain.

Secondly, he supported his faith through prayer. He was not tempted to leave it to chance.

Thirdly, he received the sound of rain as a sign that God has answered his prayers. His announcement was made in faith.

Fourthly, he refused to be discouraged.

Prayer Point

Father, please let every prophecy and divine promise for my life begin to find fulfilment now in the name of Jesus.

FAITHFUL CHRISTIAN WORKERS (teens) – Wed 10th Feb 2016

Posted: 08 Feb 2016 03:02 PM PST

FAITHFUL CHRISTIAN WORKERS (teens)

Memorise: Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove

faithful. – 1^stCorinthians 4:2

Please Read: Luke 12:37-38, ³⁷Blessed are those servants, whom the lord when he cometh shall find watching: verily I say unto you, that he shall gird himself, and make them to sit down to meat, and will come forth and serve them.

³⁸And if he shall come in the second watch, or come in the third watch, and find them so, blessed are those servants.

Bible in one year: Jeremiah 40-42; Acts 23:12-35

MESSAGE!!!

A Christian worker is a born-again child of God and a steward that controls God's resources and possessions. Being a steward is a very important job in God's ministry and the Lord Jesus expects them to be responsible and keep good record of their activities (Luke 12:48) you are responsible for what you have been (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); given.

1) The gifts, talents and skills we have are to be used to develop God's kingdom. You have to develop and improve on it as you will give a report on how you have used it. (Romans 2:6, 1^st Timothy 4:14).

2) Don't let your talents makes you proud but be humble, respect and obey your leaders and fear God. Remember, it's a gift from God.

3) Do not see it as an opportunity to make money, be famous or please people. Do it all for God and He will reward your work of love.

4) Whatever you have to do, do it with all the strength in you (Ecclesiastes 9:10). Don't be lazy, be very hardworking and committed to it (Romans 12:11)

Prayer Point

Father, please let the cup of my physical and spiritual blessings overflow this year in the name of Jesus.

DIVINE ROYALTY (teens) – Tuesday 9th Feb 2016

Posted: 08 Feb 2016 03:00 PM PST

DIVINE ROYALTY (teens)

Memorise: And has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and

Father to him to glory and power forever and ever! Amen – Revelations 1:6

Please Read: 1^stSamuel 16:1, 11-13, 16 And the Lord said unto Samuel, How long wilt thou mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Israel? fill thine horn with oil, and go, I will send thee to Jesse the Bethlehemite: for I have provided me a king among his sons.

¹¹And Samuel said unto Jesse, Are here all thy children? And he said, There remaineth yet the youngest, and, behold, he keepeth the sheep. And Samuel said unto Jesse, Send and fetch him: for we will not sit down till he come hither.

¹²And he sent, and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, and withal of a beautiful countenance, and goodly to look to. And the Lord said, Arise, anoint him: for this is he.

¹³Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his brethren: and the Spirit of the Lord came upon David from that day forward. So Samuel rose up, and went to Ramah.

Bible in one year: Jeremiah 37:11-39:18; Acts 22:30-23:11

MESSAGE!!!

Divine royalty gives one authority over all areas of life – health, education, mind, relationship, career, money and spiritual things. God does not give this to just anyone. To be one, you have to have a relationship with God, accept Jesus as Lord of your life (be born again). This then makes you special as confirmed in 1^st Peter 2:9 – But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness in his wonderful light.

One thing that makes you to be a divine royalty is the anointing of God. It changes you. David was an ordinary person until he was anointed as King of Israel in 1^stSamuel 16:11-13. That was when he received the supernatural grace to do great things for God. Why David? He was a man that went to please God (1^stSamuel 13:14). To be a divine royal you must watch: what you do, what you say, what you wear, where you go, and who your friends are. You have to live in a way that pleases God. Regular prayer will give you the grace to keep up with Gods standard.

Action Point

You are a divine royal and a member of God's royal priesthood; ask for grace to live up to expectation today.