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

ASSURANCE OF SONSHIP – Monday March 14th 2016
A WORD TO THE LAZY – Sunday March 13th 2016
PERFECTION: NOT OPTIONAL – Saturday March 12th 2016
JOINT-HEIR, JOINT SUFFERER – Friday March 11th 2016
LET GOD HELP YOU – Thursday March 10th 2016
AUTHORITY OVER DEMONS – Wednesday March 9th 2016
HE KNOWS THE END FROM THE BEGINNING – Tuesday March 8th 2016

ASSURANCE OF SONSHIP – Monday March 14th 2016

Posted: 07 Mar 2016 11:24 AM PST

ASSURANCE OF SONSHIP

Memorise: The spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of

God.

Romans 8:16

Read: 1^st John 3:7-10, ⁷Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous.

⁸He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.

⁹Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.

¹⁰In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother.

Bible in one year: Joshua 13:8-15:63, Job 36:17-33

It is very important to know our identity in Christ Jesus; it makes all the difference in our lives. If you don't know your status, you will be denied many things. Your identity will help you know what you are qualified for and what you can do. When people ask who you are, the response you give them will determine the level of respect they accord you from that moment on. Who you are determine your actions. There were certain things you used to do before you become born again that you can no longer do. I know that I am the Son of the Most-High God. My father rules over the Heavens and the Earth. He owns all you can see, both visible and invisible. This is why I don't ask my father for peanuts, I ask Him for big things, if they are not available at the moment of my asking, He will create them just for my sake.

My heavenly father owns everything and they belong to me. Joy, peace, riches, victory, success, healing, anointing, exploits are all my rights in Him. The fact that you are also a child of God should inform you that you are not permitted to stay in bondage. If you claim to have an assurance of your sonship in Christ and you are still a slave to fear, then something must be wrong somewhere.

"For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba Father."

Romans 8:15

Many people do not understand when I call God 'Daddy' or when I say "my father said". They see God as mystery that cannot be communicated with, but He is my father and He speaks with me. When the Holy Spirit guides you, you cannot make mistakes, and that is why we cannot afford not to be led by Him. It also assures you of your sonship in God. Having this assurance, you are to live holy.

"Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God."

1^stJohn 3:9

You cannot be toying with sin and expect to maintain your sonship in God. Sin is a destroyer. No matter how big the temptation to sin is, there is a seed in you that gives you the power to overcome. Joseph knew who he was in God and so he said "how can I do this great wickedness and sin against God." Once you know who you are and where God is taking you to, you will not live carelessly. The moment you surrender you life to Jesus, your status changes. You become a member of the highest royal family in the universe and you possess the greatest weapon against the devil.

Key Point:

If you are not saved, your status cannot change.

A WORD TO THE LAZY – Sunday March 13th 2016

Posted: 07 Mar 2016 11:23 AM PST

A WORD TO THE LAZY

Memorise: For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any

would not Work, neither should he eat. 2^nd Thessalonians 3:10

Read: Proverbs 6:4-11, ⁴Give not sleep to thine eyes, nor slumber to thine eyelids.

⁵Deliver thyself as a roe from the hand of the hunter, and as a bird from the hand of the fowler.

⁶Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise:

⁷Which having no guide, overseer, or ruler,

⁸Provideth her meat in the summer, and gathereth her food in the harvest.

⁹How long wilt thou sleep, O sluggard? when wilt thou arise out of thy sleep?

¹⁰Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep:

¹¹So shall thy poverty come as one that travelleth, and thy want as an armed man.

Bible in one year: Joshua 10:29-13:7, Job 36:5-16

The third month us almost gone in the "New Year". What have you done with these first three months? As we prepare for the forth month, make sure you do something tangible to prove to God and man that you are worthy to be alive. Some people are merely existing and not living. God wants you to live life to the fullest by impacting your immediate environment. There are still people who have so many excuses to give as reasons for doing nothing tangible since the beginning of this year. Time waits for no one, get something doing. It may be small, but God will breathe on it and make it great. Stop waiting for that loan from the bank before you starts the business. Challenge yourself to launch out into the deep through the instruction of the Almighty God, and you will be surprised that there is life on the other side. Even if you don't have your own business, you can get busy volunteering your services for others, you never can tell how God will meet you. In Exodus 3:1-4, Moses had an encounter with God while tending to his father in law's flock. Gideon was busy threshing wheat when an angel came visiting. Your breakthrough and blessing can locate you anywhere. There are many people who are unemployed because they are waiting for appointments from oil companies. It is not the job you do that will determine your prosperity; it is how you do what you do. You can be selling recharge cards today and become a dealer tomorrow if you don't give in to laziness.

If you are a lazy believer, it doesn't matter how many days you spend in church and how many prayer meetings you attend, nobody will commit great things into your hand. There are some people who have the habit of always deferring the work they supposed to do today till tomorrow. This is procrastination, and it renders one ineffective where results are expected, because you will never be able to deliver. There are some people who are always sleeping on duty; some even spend the whole day moving from one office to the other talking away the day. By the time such people come to their senses, the year is almost ending and they have nothing substantial to show for the time gone. This is also very important in spiritual matters; if you are not ready to work hard you cannot be a vessel unto honour in God's hand. Those that God used in the Bible were already busy in their various businesses before God called them. It is on record that Peter toiled all night. Lazy people sleep all night and they want to wake up and begin to command wonders. Don't be a sluggard. The sluggard has so many untouched files on his table, yet he is gallivanting around. The sluggard will fold his hands and invite God to take control of all his assignments, yet he will be the one to complain if his wages are delayed for a moment.

Key Point

For God to use you, you must be productively engaged.

PERFECTION: NOT OPTIONAL – Saturday March 12th 2016

Posted: 07 Mar 2016 11:21 AM PST

PERFECTION: NOT OPTIONAL

Memorise: Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.

Matthew 5:48

Read: Genesis 17:1-7, 17 And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, theLord appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect.

²And I will make my covenant between me and thee, and will multiply thee exceedingly.

³And Abram fell on his face: and God talked with him, saying,

⁴As for me, behold, my covenant is with thee, and thou shalt be a father of many nations.

⁵Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham; for a father of many nations have I made thee.

⁶And I will make thee exceeding fruitful, and I will make nations of thee, and kings shall come out of thee.

⁷And I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee.

Bible in one year: Joshua 8:30-10:28, Job 35:9-36:4

During the January 2015 Ministers' Thanksgiving, the Lord asked me to make our ministers examine themselves and be sure that they were 100% perfect. After the meeting, one of my children said that some ministers were asking whether it was possible to be 100% perfect. What such brethren don't know is that the demand for perfection has been from the Old Testament. Another thing they don't know is that perfection is not an optional virtue.

This perfection is available if we can believe God for it and surrender to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. In Christ, there is never an end to spiritual growth because He is infinite. Hence, we must be ready to go further and further with God until we come to the level of His perfection when we do not see ourselves any longer but it becomes all about Him. If we don't align ourselves to this requirement, we will never be carriers of His glory. Perfection is the premise upon which the rest of our walk with God will be assessed. The moment we begin this walk of perfection, we begin to attract divine presence and easily draw God's glory daily.

Perfection makes you a threat to the kingdom of darkness. Right from my early days as General Overseer, I had learnt the secret of my victory through the authority of His Name and a walk of perfection. You just notice that you become a carrier of His presence, and at the mere sight of your person, demons begin to flee because of the presence of God overshadowing you. The reason many Christians have not fully benefited from the Lord is because they are not prepared to make the sacrifice of walking in perfection. They see it as unrealistic. They easily rationalise it as an impossible feat. Hence, the Devil uses this ignorance to deny them their rightful place in God's program. God should be able to predict your actions. Perfection earns you a trust in God. There is a need to change your mindset so that the blessings of God concerning your life will not be hampered.

There is an aspect of you not yet discovered because you are still far from God. The devil is aware of what havoc you will cause to his domain the moment you make up your mind to walk in perfection. God wants to do some things in your life that will cause the ears of people around you to tingle, but you must be ready to walk before God in purity and perfection. If it was impossible for Abraham to walk perfectly before God, God wouldn't have made such a demand, moreover, the demand was for his good, and this is why you need to understand that walking before the Lord in perfection makes God committed to make you exceedingly great.

Prayer Point

Father, please grant me the grace to walk perfectly before you.

JOINT-HEIR, JOINT SUFFERER – Friday March 11th 2016

Posted: 07 Mar 2016 11:20 AM PST

JOINT-HEIR, JOINT SUFFERER

Memorise: if we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny

us. 2^nd Timothy 2:12

Read; Matthew 15:22-28, ²²And, behold, a woman of Canaan came out of the same coasts, and cried unto him, saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil.

²³But he answered her not a word. And his disciples came and besought him, saying, Send her away; for she crieth after us.

²⁴But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel.

²⁵Then came she and worshipped him, saying, Lord, help me.

²⁶But he answered and said, It is not meet to take the children's bread, and to cast it to dogs.

²⁷And she said, Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters' table.

²⁸Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great is thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt. And her daughter was made whole from that very hour.

Bible in one year: Joshua 7:1-8:29, Job 34:31-35:8

Have you compared yourself with many other believers around you and it seems that what you are going through is very different from their own experiences, and you are beginning to ask God why me? I congratulate you, because you are in for a special testimony. What you are going through is evidence that you are a child of destiny and the devil is all out to truncate it knowing what you are to become. How do you think Joseph felt when he was thrown into the pit by his own brother? He was sold to the Egyptians before finally landing in the house of Potiphar, where everything was committed into his hand. I am sure he would have been consoled by this and would have thanked God that he was finally in a safe place. Little did he know that there was a new devil in that house in the person of Mrs Potiphar. For every new level in the life of a child of God, there is always a new devil, this is why I always remind my children not to rest on their success, and because that is the time the devil will come and knock you out. He watches for your unguarded hour. When you see the devil fighting you at all corners, you should know you are special of God. My prayer is that Satan will never win the battle over you in Jesus' name.

"When thou passeth through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shall not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee." Isaiah 43:2

In this assurance you should rejoice that despite the numerous tests and trials you are going through and the ones you will still go through, God is with you. The level of suffering you go through will also determine the level of glory you will attain in God if you don't give in. The extent you are prepared to go through for Christ is also the extent to which you will reign with Him.

"But he knoweth the way that I take; when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold"

Job 23:10

To a user of this devotional, I decree in the Name that is above all names; there will be a glorious testimony from your present trials in Jesus' name. Continue to look unto Jesus, the Alpha and the Omega and do not allow the devil knock you down. Believe that your tomorrow will be alright and don't let the present situation nullify the permanent promises of God for your life.

Key Point

You are not a victim but a victor in Christ Jesus.

LET GOD HELP YOU – Thursday March 10th 2016

Posted: 07 Mar 2016 11:16 AM PST

LET GOD HELP YOU

Memorise: Come now, and let us reason together saith the LORD: through your sins

be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. Isaiah 1:18

Read: Matthew 11:28-30, ²⁸Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

²⁹Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.

³⁰For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

Bible in one year: Joshua 4-6, Job 34:16-30

Those who realised their spiritual poverty have been given the invitation by the Lord Jesus to come to Him for help. This invitation is for those who need grace and mercy, and those who know that unless the Lord helps them they will never be able to amount to anything. Laws and good works are good but they are never sufficient as a condition for our right standing with God. We need to acknowledge our helplessness and come to the one who can help us out of our weaknesses. Today, there are so many struggles we go through out of self-imposed religious rites and traditions, but Jesus is telling us that there is the need to be free from these burdens.

It is the help we receive from Jesus that makes our yoke very light. When we are motivated through the help of God in the grace and love we receive, we can always approach him and He will always reason with us. Until God helps a man, he can never find rest for his soul. The commandments of the lord are not a burden, but they are profitable for doctrine, reproof, correction, and for instruction in righteousness so that at the end of the day, we all can be thoroughly furnished unto good works. You immediately find peace when you see that your sins are forgiven by God. You find peace when you see that your sins are forgiven by God. You find peace when you see the work of Christ on the cross being appropriated in your life. It is in Christ alone that one can cast all the anxieties of this life, knowing well that He will never fail you.

Are you in a tight corner, a corner so tight that unless God helps you, you will never be able to survive? Then you are a candidate for the help of God. At every given point in our lives, God is always ready to move in and give you your miracle. You must be ready to cooperate with God through obedience to His word in all circumstance. Those who believe this sins are not 'too bad' cannot get anything from God. Those who are in the business of always rationalizing what God asks them to do, cannot get anything significant from God.

To receive help from God, be willing to do what God says. Turn away from your head knowledge and look at the Word of liberty that is able to save you and present you blameless before your maker. If there are un-confessed sins in your life, you need to come straight to God and get it right with Him. It is on this premises that you can receive the help of the Almighty God. When there is nothing standing between you and God, then you can come with confidence and boldness to Him and ask for help in times of need.

Key point

If there are sins you haven't confessed in your life, God will not be able to help you.

AUTHORITY OVER DEMONS – Wednesday March 9th 2016

Posted: 07 Mar 2016 11:15 AM PST

AUTHORITY OVER DEMONS

Memorise; And these signs shall follow them that believe; in my name shall they cast

out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; Mark 16:17

Read: Luke 9:1-2, 9 Then he called his twelve disciples together, and gave them power and authority over all devils, and to cure diseases.

²And he sent them to preach the kingdom of God, and to heal the sick.

Bible in one year: Joshua 1-3, Job 34:1-15

Authority is a very powerful tool. Authority indicates an extent of ownership and silences any opposition. There is no way we can survive as Christians in our daily lives without the authority of God. It took authority for Jesus to put the devil and the gods of this world where they belong. Satan came and did all he could to derail Jesus, but at the end of the day, he lost on all fronts because of the authority which Jesus has over the devil and his cohorts. Authority is a powerful tool for good or for justification, and it is with this authority that you can rule over nations and kingdoms. It takes authority to pull down, to root out, to destroy the schemes of men, and throw down the altars of darkness. You also need authority to take your place in life both in building and in planting. When you have the backing of the Almighty God and men begin to fight against you, they will never be able to prevail against you because the Lord will deliver you and many signs and wonders will continue to be made manifest in your life and ministry. This is why it is very important that as children of God we must not exchange our authority in Christ Jesus for anything.

When the devil appeared to Jesus after He had fasted for 40 days, Jesus used the authority He had to dislodge the strength of the devil and to frustrate his plans further. At the end of the day, the devil had to flee. In the Name that is above all names, I cast out every demon on assignment over your family right now in Jesus' name. The end-time army of God must reflect the outward evidence in the demonstration of the authority of God with many signs following. As a child of God, you are to spoil principalities and powers and make a public show of them,

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

Colossians 2:15

The truth remains that the authority given to the church has not been effectively used by the church to its advantage. Many of us have abandoned intimacy with God as a relationship to be exercised by only 'great men of God'.

If there is anything a pastor needs very urgently, it is this tool called authority. It was this authority that the Roman Centurion understood which made him to suggest to Jesus that He should just speak a word and the healing would be done. When you carry authority, there will be no room for struggles in your ministry. Devil and all his activities will always bow to the voice of God. You need to submit yourself totally to God for his authority to work for you. The devil himself knows that as long as you are under the authority of God, there is nothing he can do with your life. Demons and unpleasant situations will always bow to the authority of Jesus, but with evidence that the person exercising the authority is operating in Christ alone. This was why the seven sons of Sceva met trouble when they were trying to cast out devils. The demons asked them by whose authority they were beaten up and disgraced by the demons. Never allow anything to disconnect you from the Lordship of Jesus Christ.

Prayer Point

Father, by your authority let every unpleasant situation bow in my life in Jesus' Name.

HE KNOWS THE END FROM THE BEGINNING – Tuesday March 8th 2016

Posted: 07 Mar 2016 11:12 AM PST

HE KNOWS THE END FROM THE BEGINNING

Memorise: I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.

Revelations 22:13

Read: Jeremiah 1:1-5 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.

Bible in one year: John 19:17-21:25, Job 33:19-33

In every land, everyone reckons with the fact that Christ is central to world history and that everything revolves around Him. When you are in Christ, you are re-positioning yourself for a divine purpose. When you are outside Christ, you can never discover your true identity. A classic example of someone who had a new beginning in Christ was Apostle Paul. Prior to his meeting the Lord, he felt he was doing well because he was a blasphemer, a persecutor and an injurious person to the Body of Believers. God doesn't always see what we see. We saw a sinner in Saul but God was seeing a saint in him.

"Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold all things are become new."

2^ndCorinthians 5:17

Before Jeremiah was born, God had chosen him for a special purpose. While Moses was in the palace, God had an ultimate purpose for him. Despite the situation and circumstances of Ruth, there was an ultimate purpose in the mind of God. I have good news for someone reading this devotional; the ultimate plan and purpose of God for your life will never be truncated in Jesus' name. The same Saul that was causing havoc was the same person God used to bring about special miracles (Acts 9:11). Immediately he received the Lord, he became a wonder and evidence that there is no sinner without a future.

In world history, the greatest and most enduring works of reformation took place through an encounter with Christ. The transformation through Christ changes a man from within and the change manifests in his lifestyle. Paul was not just a man of a new beginning; he was a man of many new beginnings. Paul discovered from his encounter with Christ that being born again is not all that Christ had to offer. He went on to discover the secrets of living a life of purpose and he made it his pursuit until the end of his life. We need to understand that there is a divine mandate for anyone who is in Christ Jesus. God knows the beginning from the end. He knows what He has designed you for. He is not unaware of your present situation, and His promises over your mouth, He gives you a voice and you a message that is distinct. You are to reign over and be a threat to those things that are threatening others. You have the power to root out all the unpleasant situations around you. You are to destroy all the works of the Devil and pull down all the altars of the enemy. However, there is a part for you to play; you have to embrace a life of holiness and love. You must pursue divine desires and ignore the mundane things of this world. With a heart of thanksgiving, you will begin to experience God's promises for your life on daily basis.

Prayer Point

Father, let your ultimate purpose for my life be fulfilled in Jesus' name.