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

SPIRITUAL BODYGUARDS – Monday May 2nd 2016
THE MAN GOD USES – Sunday May 1st 2016
THE LORD MY FORTRESS – Saturday April 30th 2016-01-03
OVERCOMING TRIALS II – Friday April 29th 2016

SPIRITUAL BODYGUARDS – Monday May 2nd 2016

Posted: 28 Apr 2016 12:18 PM PDT

SPIRITUAL BODYGUARDS

Memorise: He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under

the shadow of the Almighty. Psalms 91:1

Read; Psalms 91:1-12, 91 He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.

²I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.

³Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence.

⁴He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler.

⁵Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day;

⁶Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday.

⁷A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee.

⁸Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked.

⁹Because thou hast made the Lord, which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation;

¹⁰There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling.

¹¹For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.

¹²They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone.

Bible in one year: 1^st Kings 15:33-17:24, Proverbs 18:15-19:4

MESSAGE

Bodyguards are specially trained security persons who usually protect very important people wherever they go. They are commonly sighted around government officials and members of their families. Because moguls, multi-millionaires, mega stars, and TV personalities enjoy going around with them. As a matter of fact, many will not be seen in public without their bodyguards because they don't feel safe without them. However, bodyguards are limited in power, and the cost of having them is beyond the reach of the average person. The good news for Christians is that as we have bodyguards in this world, we also have spiritual bodyguards. They are automatically appointed to every child of God at the moment they become born again. They are invisible, they operate at a speed much faster than the speed of light, they have limitless power, and their services have been fully paid for through the blood of Jesus. That is why Psalms 91:1 says:

"He thatn dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty."

I once taught some of my children that when a child is born, what happens to the child depends on the available support system.
The stronger the support system, the more fortified that child is for success in life. Within our Father's support system are angels. Psalms 91:10-13 says it is the duty of our Father's angels to ensure no harm befalls us. The angels are instructed by God to go with us wherever we go. If the children of kings are going out, they don't go alone. If they are going to school, they are chauffeur-driven, whereas, children of ordinary people trek even through the woods unaided. From this day, you shall go on angelic rides in Jesus' name.

There is a testimony a brother shared concerning his trip by air. He said while airborne, the first two engines of the plane suddenly stopped. The pilot panicked, saying that if the third engine follows suit, the plane would crash. Then the third engine also stopped. The whole place was in pandemonium but this brother who was seated by the window turned to look through the window on his left and saw a huge angel smiling at him and whispering to him that he was carrying the plane. To the surprise of everybody else, the plane landed safely an hour later at the nearest airport. The brother saw three angels there. Nobody could explain how they managed to land except this brother. In the Bible, when Daniel was thrown into the den of lions, an angel went ahead of him and stopped their mouths. Similarly, when Peter was locked up in prison, an angel came to him, woke him up and led him out.

Prayer Point

Father, please don't let me ever do anything that will drive my spiritual bodyguards away from me in Jesus' name.

THE MAN GOD USES – Sunday May 1st 2016

Posted: 28 Apr 2016 12:15 PM PDT

THE MAN GOD USES

Memorise: But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but

also of wood and of earth; and some to honour, and some to dishonour. 2^nd Timothy 2:20

Read: 2^nd Timothy 2:19-21, ¹⁹Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity.

²⁰But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honour, and some to dishonour.

²¹If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master's use, and prepared unto every good work.

Bible in one year: 1^st Kings 14:1-15:32, Proverbs 18:1-14

MESSAGE

Today's memory verse speaks of the availability of vessels of different makes; designs, and qualities to a great person. The choice of what vessel to use for any particular purpose is dependent on the master's preference and the suitability of each vessel to the assignment at hand. So also, the man that God will use for any assignment must be found suitable for kingdom assignment. God is always in the business of searching for suitable resources that He can use to fulfil His purpose here on earth. Whenever He locates one, He proceeds with the preparation and training of the chosen for the assignment. Incidentally, the divine equipment usually employed for the preparation and training of the man that God will use is the cross. Many Christians are not fulfilling their purpose in life and ministry because they have consistently refused the required training for their assignments, and because they are not found to be suitable yet, their commissioning remains pending. May the Lord wake you up to the reality of your situation today, so that you can take your rightful place in the programme of heaven in Jesus' name.

The man that God will use becomes completely transformed by going through the preparation process of God. The relationship that follows guarantees that the person's mind, heart, will, and life now belongs to Jesus Christ, alone, he becomes reoriented with God and God's kingdom. He is convinced beyond any reasonable doubt that he or she was created to please God and would begin to pursue godly purposes with all determination.
In the life of the man God uses, the words of 2^nd Corinthians 9:8 come to play;

"God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work"

Therefore, the man God uses is the person who has absolute trust, reliance, and faith in God. He relies on God as the source of all things; he is a man through whom God can do all things. He is fully aware of God's agenda in the world, and he lives with a clear, God-given sense of direction toward fulfilling God's purpose. The presence of God is with him always and he is always careful to keep his character and integrity in line with the Word of God.

The man God uses is able to bring incredible changes and blessings into the life of anyone that comes in contact with him, through him, people with broken spirits, unstable families, the poor, those with health challenges, the demon possessed, and the disenfranchised, can all find peace and prosperity with God. This is the whole essence of Christianity, and all it requires is our total submission to the preparation and training process. May the Lord give you the grace to pay the price for greatness in Jesus' name.

Prayer Point

Father: please give me the grace to depend totally on you and completely submit myself to Your training in Jesus' name.

THE LORD MY FORTRESS – Saturday April 30th 2016-01-03

Posted: 28 Apr 2016 12:10 PM PDT

THE LORD MY FORTRESS

Memorise: And he said the LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer. 2^nd

Samuel 22:2

Read: Psalms 91:1-8, 91 He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.

²I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.

³Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence.

⁴He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler.

⁵Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day;

⁶Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday.

⁷A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee.

⁸Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked.

Bible in one year: 1^st Kings 12-13, Proverbs 17:15-28

MESSAGE

The experience of David concerning divine protection is worthy of study. In our memory verse for today, he said: "The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer". Whoever experiences these attributes of God in his life can be rightly described as the inheritance of the Lord. The Psalmist further wrote.

"They that trust in the Lord shall be as mount Zion, which cannot be removed, but abideth for ever.

Psalms 125:1

One point to quickly note is that this Bible verse talks only to those who put their trust in the Lord, not those who have alternatives.
David trusted totally in the Lord and he was never disappointed, that's why he made such statements as this;

"As the mountains are round about Jerusalem, so the Lord is round about his people from henceforth even for ever.

Psalms 125:2

In other words, the Lord builds walls of protection round about his people. This is 'food for thought' for double-minded people who are still in doubt of God's ability to totally protect. Some people are even afraid of prosperity, because they feel they will be prone to attacks from their enemies if they get rich. They obviously do not know that the Almighty God that prospers is the One that protects as well.

"Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence…. Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day."

Psalms 91:3, 5

One is thrilled by the assurance with which the Psalmist tells us about the Lord's protection over His people. David's experiences, first with the lion and the bear, and later with Goliath, are testimonies that should make a doubter believe that our God is indeed Jehovah-Nissi.

I assure you that if you put your trust in the Lord, your protection is guaranteed. Our Lord never fails, He watches over his elect so that His name will not be blasphemed. Also, He fights on behalf of His elect so that they may not be discouraged by the battles of life.

My prayer is that the Rock of Ages will continue to protect you and your loved ones in the name of Jesus. However, ensure that you have no other god beside the Almighty God.

Action Point

Father, please deliver from the nets of the fowlers in Jesus' name.

OVERCOMING TRIALS II – Friday April 29th 2016

Posted: 28 Apr 2016 12:06 PM PDT

OVERCOMING TRIALS II

Memorise: Submit yourself therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from

you. James 4:7

Read: James 4:7-10, ⁷Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

⁸Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.

⁹Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness.

¹⁰Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.

Bible in one year: 1^st Kings 10-11, Proverbs 17:1-14

MESSAGE

Submitting to the perfect will of God is a great weapon against trials and temptations. It is wisdom for us to submit to the One who is our present help in time of trouble. Jesus Christ is our closest ally in the battle of life. This is why those who do not have Him as their personal Lord and Saviour are vulnerably disposed to sorrow, frustration and death.

For us to enjoy the support and the defence of our great Ally, Jesus Christ, Apostle James wrote to say that we should submit ourselves to God, resist the devil and then he will flee from us (James 4:7).

The Bible says that pride goes before a fall. Many people fall into temptation because of pride. This is why the scripture enjoins us to live soberly as we fight the good fight of faith.

"For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think;
but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith."

Romans 13:3

Humility and sobriety are great instruments of defence in the face of temptation. We are encouraged to humble ourselves in the sight of God so that He can lift us up. Once we are lifted up above principalities and powers, no temptation can floor us, because the Almighty is our Ally. People easily fall prey to trials and temptations because of their failure to live soberly. Over two thousand years ago. Apostle James gave us a key to solving this problem. He wrote:

"But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished bringeth forth death."

James 1:14-5

To overcome trials and temptations, we must run to Jesus afresh today with sober hearts and humility. He will come to our aids, just on time.

Action Point

Examine your life; see where and how you have exposed yourself to trials and temptations and make amends with the blood of Jesus Christ.

OVERCOMING TRIALS I – Thursday April 28th 2016
KNOW YOUR ENEMY II – Wednesday April 27th 2016
KNOW YOUR ENEMY I – Tuesday April 26th 2016

OVERCOMING TRIALS I – Thursday April 28th 2016

Posted: 24 Apr 2016 08:51 AM PDT

OVERCOMING TRIALS I

Memorise: Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he

shall receive the crown of life, which he Lord hath promised to them that love him. James 1:12

Read: Proverbs 1:11-15, ¹¹If they say, Come with us, let us lay wait for blood, let us lurk privily for the innocent without cause:

¹²Let us swallow them up alive as the grave; and whole, as those that go down into the pit:

¹³We shall find all precious substance; we shall fill our houses with spoil:

¹⁴Cast in thy lot among us; let us all have one purse:

¹⁵My son, walk not thou in the way with them; refrain thy foot from their path:

Bible in one year: 1^st Kings 8:22-9:28, Proverbs 16:20-33

MESSAGE

The irony of the spiritual realm is that the tempter is the prosecutor. The Bible says:

"And the great dragon was cast out that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceieveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night."

Revelation 12:9-10

The above scripture points to one bitter truth; trials and temptations are characteristics of life whether we believe it or not. It is, however, better to believe it because it is then we can preparedly overcome it. The Bible also confirms it by attaching a blessing to overcomers of temptation:

"Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him."

James 1:12

It takes genuine love for God to be able to overcome temptation. Joseph was able to overcome the temptation of sleeping with his master's wife because of the love he had for God. This love was what produced his victory. He said:

"There is none greater in this house than I; neither hath he kept back any thing from me but thee, because thou art his wife: how then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?"

Genesis 39:9

As said earlier, there will always be temptations as long as we are on this earth. Temptation is not a sin but falling into it is the sin. The bad thoughts that the devil flashes at you are not sins until you begin to hatch and execute them.

It is our resistance to temptation that makes us overcomers. The Bible says:

"Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin."

Hebrews 12:4

My prayer for someone using this devotional is that you remain an overcomer over sin from now on in Jesus' name.

Prayer Point

Father, sanctify me wholly from every besetting sin by the Blood of Jesus shed on the Cross.

KNOW YOUR ENEMY II – Wednesday April 27th 2016

Posted: 24 Apr 2016 08:47 AM PDT

KNOW YOUR ENEMY II

Memorise: O wretched man that I am! Who shall deliver me from the body of this

death? Romans 7:24

Read: Romans 7:18-25, ¹⁸For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.

¹⁹For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do.

²⁰Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.

²¹I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me.

²²For I delight in the law of God after the inward man:

²³But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.

²⁴O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?

²⁵I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.

Bible in one year: 1^st Kings 7:1-8:21, Proverbs 16:6-19

MESSAGE

The flesh is another deadly enemy of man. The flesh attacks the soul through its poisonous activities. These activities are listed in Galatians 5:19-21;

"Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God."

The above listed activities of the flesh are deadly, primarily because they prevent a man inheriting the kingdom of God. An enemy is not a serious one if it can only kill you, but cannot prevent you from making it to heaven.

Jesus Christ said:

"And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul; but rather fear him which is able to destroy both souls and body in hell."

Matthew 10:28

Consequently, the flesh and its activities are very dangerous, but Christians have become so complacent that they sit back and allow these activities drag them off the track of heaven. The Bible says:

"Can one go upon hot coals, and his feet not be burned? So he that goeth into his neighbour's wife; whosoever toucheth her shall not be innocent… But whoso committeth adultery with a woman lacketh understanding: he that doeth it destoryeth his own soul."

Proverbs 6:28, 32

The works of the flesh can be destroyed through only one means and that means is Jesus Christ. Beloved, I encourage you to give you life to Christ totally today, and do away with all works of the flesh.

Action Point

Read Colossians 3:5 and pray with it.

KNOW YOUR ENEMY I – Tuesday April 26th 2016

Posted: 24 Apr 2016 04:34 AM PDT

KNOW YOUR ENEMY I

Memorise: My son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not. Proverbs 1:10

Read: Genesis 3:1-5, 3 Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?

²And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden:

³But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.

⁴And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die:

⁵For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.

Bible in one year: 1^st Kings 4-6, Proverbs 15:25-16:5

MESSAGE

One of the earliest weapons of the devil against both the spiritual and physical well-being of man is enticement. He has,
from time immemorial, been successfully using this weapon against humanity. The first time He used it was in the Garden of Eden.

"And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: for God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.

Genesis 3:4-6a

As a matter of fact, the fruit was not better looking than other fruits of the garden, but the mental picture that the devil painted about it suggested to the woman that the fruit was better than the ones God had generously given them to eat. Today, there are many good things of life that God has provided for humanity and His children in particular, but the enticement of the enemy has robbed many people of the joy and contentment in God's benevolence. For example; if a man goes about chasing a woman who is not his wife, he is deluded and enticed to think that the strange woman possesses something that his wife does not have. It is the lie of the devil when you think that a second marriage will give you the joy that you did not have in the first. Read this confession of the first polygamist in history:

"And Lamech took unto him two wives: the name of the one was Adah, and the name of the other Zillah… And Lamech said unto his wives, Adah and Zillah, Hear my voice; ye wives of Lamech, hearken unto my speech: for I have slain a man to my wounding, and a young man to my hurt."

Genesis 4:19, 23

Through we may not have the full details of Lamech's lamentation in this passage, the fact remains that an increase in the number of his wives did not spare him from the agony that instigated this lament.

Beloved, in what areas have you been deceived through the enticement of the devil? I pray that the enticement will loosen its grip over you from today in Jesus' name.

Prayer Point

Father, when sinners come around to entice me, may I not consent in Jesus' name.

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