Open Heavens for Saturday January 31st, 2015: THE WONDERS OF DIVINE VICTORY

TOPIC: THE WONDERS OF DIVINE VICTORY

Memorise: Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the LORD our God. - Psalm 20:7

Read: 1 Samuel 17:44-50
44 And the Philistine said to David, Come to me, and I will give thy flesh unto the fowls of the air, and to the beasts of the field.

45 Then said David to the Philistine, Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied.

46 This day will the LORD deliver thee into mine hand; and I will smite thee, and take thine head from thee; and I will give the carcases of the host of the Philistines this day unto the fowls of the air, and to the wild beasts of the earth; that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel.

47 And all this assembly shall know that the LORD saveth not with sword and spear: for the battle is the LORD'S, and he will give you into our hands.

48 And it came to pass, when the Philistine arose, and came and drew nigh to meet David, that David hasted, and ran toward the army to meet the Philistine.

49 And David put his hand in his bag, and took thence a stone, and slang it, and smote the Philistine in his forehead, that the stone sunk into his forehead; and he fell upon his face to the earth.

50 So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and with a stone, and smote the Philistine, and slew him; but there was no sword in the hand of David.

WONDERFUL RESTORATION - Open Heavens Daily Devotional, Friday January 30, 2015

TOPIC: WONDERFUL RESTORATION - [30 January, 2015]

Memorise: Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit. - Psalm 51:12

Read: Ezekiel 37:1-10
1 The hand of the LORD was upon me, and carried me out in the spirit of the LORD, and set me down in the midst of the valley which was full of bones,

2 And caused me to pass by them round about: and, behold, there were very many in the open valley; and, lo, they were very dry.

3 And he said unto me, Son of man, can these bones live? And I answered, O Lord GOD, thou knowest.

4 Again he said unto me, Prophesy upon these bones, and say unto them, O ye dry bones, hear the word of the LORD.

5 Thus saith the Lord GOD unto these bones; Behold, I will cause breath to enter into you, and ye shall live:

6 And I will lay sinews upon you, and will bring up flesh upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and ye shall live; and ye shall know that I am the LORD.

7 So I prophesied as I was commanded: and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and behold a shaking, and the bones came together, bone to his bone.

8 And when I beheld, lo, the sinews and the flesh came up upon them, and the skin covered them above: but there was no breath in them.

9 Then said he unto me, Prophesy unto the wind, prophesy, son of man, and say to the wind, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live.

10 So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived, and stood up upon their feet, an exceeding great army.

STOREHOUSE FOR WONDERS - Open Heavens Daily Devotional for Thursday 29th January, 2015

TOPIC: STOREHOUSE FOR WONDERS - Open Heavens for Thursday 29th January 2015

Memorise: The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. - Psalm 23:1

Read: 1 Kings 17:12-16
12 And she said, As the LORD thy God liveth, I have not a cake, but an handful of meal in a barrel, and a little oil in a cruse: and, behold, I am gathering two sticks, that I may go in and dress it for me and my son, that we may eat it, and die.

13 And Elijah said unto her, Fear not; go and do as thou hast said: but make me thereof a little cake first, and bring it unto me, and after make for thee and for thy son.

14 For thus saith the LORD God of Israel, The barrel of meal shall not waste, neither shall the cruse of oil fail, until the day that the LORD sendeth rain upon the earth.

15 And she went and did according to the saying of Elijah: and she, and he, and her house, did eat many days.

16 And the barrel of meal wasted not, neither did the cruse of oil fail, according to the word of the LORD, which he spake by Elijah.

WORKSHOP FOR WONDER - Open Heavens Devotional for Wednesday 28th January, 2015

TOPIC: WORKSHOP FOR WONDER

Memorise: How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him. - Acts 10:38

Read: (John 9:1-7 KJV)
1 And as Jesus passed by, he saw a man which was blind from his birth.

2 And his disciples asked him, saying, Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind?

3 Jesus answered, Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him.

4 I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work.

5 As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.

6 When he had thus spoken, he spat on the ground, and made clay of the spittle, and he anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay,

7 And said unto him, Go, wash in the pool of Siloam, (which is by interpretation, Sent.) He went his way therefore, and washed, and came seeing.

Open Heavens Devotional for Tuesday 27th January, 2015: WONDERFUL SAVIOUR

TOPIC: WONDERFUL SAVIOUR

Memorise: For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, the everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. - Isaiah 9:6

Read: Acts 2:22-24
22 Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know:

23 Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain:

24 Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it.

MESSAGE:
A major difference between Christianity and other religious is the availability of the Saviour for anyone who needs salvation. As a matter of fact, the essence of true religion is the salvation that it guarantees. Any religion that does not offer the assurance of salvation, particularly salvation for sin, is a base contraption. Concerning Jesus, the Bible in Matthew 1:21 says that:

Open Heavens for Monday, 26th January, 2015: CURE FOR DEFEAT

TOPIC: CURE FOR DEFEAT

Memorise: Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions. - Psalm 51:1

Read: 1 Kings 21:17-29
17 And the word of the LORD came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying,

18 Arise, go down to meet Ahab king of Israel, which is in Samaria: behold, he is in the vineyard of Naboth, whither he is gone down to possess it.

19 And thou shalt speak unto him, saying, Thus saith the LORD, Hast thou killed, and also taken possession? And thou shalt speak unto him, saying, Thus saith the LORD, In the place where dogs licked the blood of Naboth shall dogs lick thy blood, even thine.

20 And Ahab said to Elijah, Hast thou found me, O mine enemy? And he answered, I have found thee: because thou hast sold thyself to work evil in the sight of the LORD.

21 Behold, I will bring evil upon thee, and will take away thy posterity, and will cut off from Ahab him that pisseth against the wall, and him that is shut up and left in Israel,

22 And will make thine house like the house of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, and like the house of Baasha the son of Ahijah, for the provocation wherewith thou hast provoked me to anger, and made Israel to sin.

23 And of Jezebel also spake the LORD, saying, The dogs shall eat Jezebel by the wall of Jezreel.

24 Him that dieth of Ahab in the city the dogs shall eat; and him that dieth in the field shall the fowls of the air eat.

25 But there was none like unto Ahab, which did sell himself to work wickedness in the sight of the LORD, whom Jezebel his wife stirred up.

26 And he did very abominably in following idols, according to all things as did the Amorites, whom the LORD cast out before the children of Israel.

27 And it came to pass, when Ahab heard those words, that he rent his clothes, and put sackcloth upon his flesh, and fasted, and lay in sackcloth, and went softly.

28 And the word of the LORD came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying,

29 Seest thou how Ahab humbleth himself before me? because he humbleth himself before me, I will not bring the evil in his days: but in his son's days will I bring the evil upon his house.

Open Heavens Daily Devotional for Sunday 25th January, 2015: EX-CHAMPION?

Today's Open Heavens Devotional Topic: EX-CHAMPION?

Memorise: Afterward Jesus findeth him in the temple, and said unto him, behold, thou art made whole: sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee. - John 5:14

Read: Joshua 7:1-5
1 But the children of Israel committed a trespass in the accursed thing: for Achan, the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took of the accursed thing: and the anger of the LORD was kindled against the children of Israel.
2 And Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai, which is beside Beth-aven, on the east side of Beth-el, and spake unto them, saying, Go up and view the country. And the men went up and viewed Ai.
3 And they returned to Joshua, and said unto him, Let not all the people go up; but let about two or three thousand men go up and smite Ai; and make not all the people to labour thither; for they are but few.
4 So there went up thither of the people about three thousand men: and they fled before the men of Ai.
5 And the men of Ai smote of them about thirty and six men: for they chased them from before the gate even unto Shebarim, and smote them in the going down: wherefore the hearts of the people melted, and became as water.

Open Heavens Devotional for Saturday 24th January, 2015: ENEMY OF DIVINE BLESSINGS

TOPIC: ENEMY OF DIVINE BLESSINGS

Memorise: The LORD maketh poor, and maketh rich: he bringth low, and lifeth up. - 1 Samuel 2:7

Read: Hosea 5:3-9
3 I know Ephraim, and Israel is not hid from me: for now, O Ephraim, thou committest whoredom, and Israel is defiled.
4 They will not frame their doings to turn unto their God: for the spirit of whoredoms is in the midst of them, and they have not known the LORD.
5 And the pride of Israel doth testify to his face: therefore shall Israel and Ephraim fall in their iniquity; Judah also shall fall with them.
6 They shall go with their flocks and with their herds to seek the LORD; but they shall not find him; he hath withdrawn himself from them.
7 They have dealt treacherously against the LORD: for they have begotten strange children: now shall a month devour them with their portions.
8 Blow ye the cornet in Gibeah, and the trumpet in Ramah: cry aloud at Beth-aven, after thee, O Benjamin.
9 Ephraim shall be desolate in the day of rebuke: among the tribes of Israel have I made known that which shall surely be.

Open Heavens Devotional for Friday January 23, 2015: IRREVERSIBLE DIVINE BLESSINGS

TOPIC: IRREVERSIBLE DIVINE BLESSINGS

Memorise: The blessing of the LORD, it maketh rich, and he addeth no sorrow with it. - Proverbs 10:22

Read: Genesis 22:15-18
15 And the angel of the LORD called unto Abraham out of heaven the second time,
16 And said, By myself have I sworn, saith the LORD, for because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son:
17 That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies;
18 And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice.

MESSAGE:
The blessings that can be regarded as irreversible are those which come from God. God Almighty decided to give irreversible blessings to Abraham. In Genesis 22:16-17, God declared thus:

Open Heavens Daily Devotional for Thursday 22nd January, 2015: A PEACEMAKER?

TOPIC: A PEACEMAKER?

Memorise: Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God. - Matthew 5:9

Read: 2 Corinthians 5:18-20
18 And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;
19 To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.
20 Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God.

MESSAGE:
When Adam and Eve fell into sin in the Garden of Eden, this brought enmity between the Creator and His human creator. The first man and woman decided to love when God hated (Genesis 3:6). It is unfortunate that this spiritual depravity has continued till date. Men tend to love the world more than their Creator as a result of the lust of the eye, the lust of the flesh and the pride of life (1st John 2:14-14).

Open Heavens Devotional for Wednesday 21st January, 2015: GOOD SUCCESS

TOPIC: GOOD SUCCESS

Memorise: For the turning away of the simple shall slay them, and the prosperity of fools shall destroy them. 1 Proverbs 1:32

Read: Joshua 1:8
8 This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.

Message
The Bible classifies success into good success and negative or bad success. Of course, to the carnal mind, the idea of bad success is an irony. The Lord defined the type of success that emanates from Him in Proverbs 10:22

“The blessing of the LORD, it maketh rich, and he addeth no sorrow with it.”

In other words, if a so-called blessing is not from the Lord, certainly there will be some sorrow attached to it. This kind of success cannot be said to be good. Little wonder God Almighty prescribed what will bring good success to Joshua, as there are other type of success.

The blessing of the Lord makes you live long to enjoy the fruit of your labour (Psalm 91:6). The Lord who blesses is the same one who protects. If you are afraid of calamity after a breakthrough, maybe the source of that so-called breakthrough is not God. No man can temper with good success that emanates from God. Some people are afraid of success because of what people will say about them. You can go ahead and continue to run from success if the success is not coming from God, because it cannot be good success. However, when your breakthrough or success is directly from God, no witch, wizard or herbalist can tamper with it.

In Genesis 26:12-14, we read about a classical example of good success record by Isaac. This man was so blessed that even the king of the Philistines envied him. The secret of this good success is found in the Genesis 26:2-6. Isaac obeyed the voice of God, stayed where God asked him to stay and he became prosperous with good success. Good success is not far from those who determine to obey God all the way. In today’s Bible text, God revealed the secret of good success to Joshua which every child of God must pay attention to. God told Joshua that for Him to have good success, the book of the law should not just be in his mouth, he was to meditate therein constantly in order to observe to do according to its contents. This truth is reinforced in James 1:25:

“But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.”

If you want to obtain good success therefore, be a doer of the work in God’s Word.

Prayer Point: Father, please grant me good success in all of my endeavours this year in Jesus’ Name.

Bible in one year: Isaiah 61:64, Acts 12:6-25

SOURCE: OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL, VOLUME 15, 2015

Open Heavens Devotional for Tuesday 20th January, 2015: THE WORD AND THE BLOOD

TOPIC: THE WORD AND THE BLOOD

Memorise: And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death. - Revelation 12:11

Read: Hebrew 12:22-25
22 But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels,
23 To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect,
24 And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel.
25 See that ye refuse not him that speaketh. For if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth, much more shall not we escape, if we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven:

MESSAGE:
There are two irresistible weapons available to the children of God in spiritual warfare. These are then Word [of God] and the Blood [of Jesus Christ]. The Word is so powerful that the entire universe was made by abnormality in your life under control, just as He did in Genesis 1. Death is the greatest problem that confronts mankind. The Bible in 1st Corinthians 15:56a reveals that the power of death lies in sin:

Open Heavens Devotional for Monday 19th January, 2015: DO YOU DESIRE TO BE BLESSED?

TOPIC: DO YOU DESIRE TO BE BLESSED?

Memorise: Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. - Psalm 32:1

Read: Genesis 27:1-4
1 And it came to pass, that when Isaac was old, and his eyes were dim, so that he could not see, he called Esau his eldest son, and said unto him, My son: and he said unto him, Behold, here am I.
2 And he said, Behold now, I am old, I know not the day of my death:
3 Now therefore take, I pray thee, thy weapons, thy quiver and thy bow, and go out to the field, and take me some venison;
4 And make me savoury meat, such as I love, and bring it to me, that I may eat; that my soul may bless thee before I die.

MESSAGE:
Many people desire to be blessed by God and men, but they have never bothered to do anything to actualise their most-desired blessings. Many have received fantastic prophecies which they know are theirs indeed, but they have never taken any step to bring about the fulfilment of such prophecies. When the Lord told the children of Israel that it was time for them to possess the Promised Land flowing with milk and honey, the onus was on them to depose the illegal occupants before they could possess it (Joshua 1:11-15)

Open Heavens Devotional for Sunday 18th January, 2015: PECULIAR GENERATION

TOPIC: PECULIAR GENERATION

Memorise: Beloved, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God; therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. - 1 John 3:2

Read: 1 Peter 2:9-10
9 But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:
10 Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.

MESSAGE:
When John the beloved pondered on the fact that believers in Christ are children of God, he could not stop wondering how privileged they were to be so-called (1 John 3:2). Apostle Peter expounded the implication of the adoption we receive through Jesus Christ.

Open Heavens Devotional for Saturday 17th January, 2015: ENJOYING AND EXERCISING SPIRITUAL AUTHORITY

TOPIC: ENJOYING AND EXERCISING SPIRITUAL AUTHORITY

Memorise: And the evil spirit answered and said, Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are ye?
- Acts 19:15

Read: Acts 13:8 - 12 
8 But Elymas the sorcerer (for so is his name by interpretation) withstood them, seeking to turn away the deputy from the faith.
9 Then Saul, (who also is called Paul,) filled with the Holy Ghost, set his eyes on him.
10 And said, O full of all subtilty and all mischief, thou child of the devil, thou enemy of all righteousness, wilt thou not cease to pervert the right ways of the Lord?
11 And now, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon thee, and thou shalt be blind, not seeing the sun for a season. And immediately there fell on him a mist and a darkness; and he went about seeking some to lead him by the hand
12 Then the deputy, when he saw what was done, believed, being astonished at the doctrine of the Lord

Open Heavens Devotional for Friday 16th January, 2015: ENJOYING DIVINE BLESSINGS?

TOPIC: ENJOYING DIVINE BLESSINGS?

Memorise: And all these blessings shall come on thee, and overtake thee, if thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God. - Deuteronomy 28:2

Read: Malachi 3:10-12
10 Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.
11 And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the field, saith the LORD of hosts.
12 And all nations shall call you blessed: for ye shall be a delightsome land, saith the LORD of hosts.

MESSAGE:
God can decide to bless an individual beyond the wildest imagination of men (Deuteronomy 28:1). However, He can later change His mind concerning this decision. Why?

Open Heavens Devotional for Thursday 15th January, 2015: A CHILD OR A DOG?

TOPIC: A CHILD OR A DOG?

Memorise: But he answered and said, It is not meet to take the children's bread, and cast it to dogs. - Matthew 15:26

Read: Matthew 15:21-28
21 Then Jesus went thence, and departed into the coasts of Tyre and Sidon.
22 And, 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.
23 But he answered her not a word. And his disciples came and besought him, saying, Send her away; for she crieth after us.
24 But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
25 Then came she and worshipped him, saying, Lord, help me.
26 But he answered and said, It is not meet to take the children's bread, and cast it to dogs.
27 And she said, Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters' table.
28 Then 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. 
 

Open Heavens Devotional for Wednesday January 14, 2015: DIVINE TOUCH

TOPIC: DIVINE TOUCH

Memorise: And Jesus, moved with compassion, put forth his hand, and touched him, and saith unto him, I will; be thou clean. - Mark 1:41

Read: Luke 7:11-15
11 And it came to pass the day after, that he went into a city called Nain; and many of his disciples went with him, and much people.
12 Now when he came nigh to the gate of the city, behold, there was a dead man carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow: and much people of the city was with her.
13 And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her, and said unto her, Weep not.
14 And he came and touched the bier: and they that bare him stood still. And he said, Young man, I say unto thee, Arise.
15 And he that was dead sat up, and began to speak. And he delivered him to his mother.

Open Heavens devotional for Tuesday 13th January, 2015: DIVINE REPLACEMENT

TOPIC: DIVINE REPLACEMENT

Memorise: And Samuel said unto him, The LORD hath rent the kingdom of Israel from thee this day, and hath given it to a neighbour of thine, that is better than thou. - 1 Samuel 15:28

Read: Esther 2:1-4
1 After these things, when the wrath of king Ahasuerus was appeased, he remembered Vashti, and what she had done, and what was decreed against her.
2 Then said the king's servants that ministered unto him, Let there be fair young virgins sought for the king:
3 And let the king appoint officers in all the provinces of his kingdom, that they may gather together all the fair young virgins unto Shushan the palace, to the house of the women, unto the custody of Hege the king's chamberlain, keeper of the women; and let their things for purification be given them:
4 And let the maiden which pleaseth the king be queen instead of Vashti. And the thing pleased the king; and he did so.

Open Heavens Devotional for Monday January 12, 2015: DIVINE INVOLVEMENT

TOPIC: DIVINE INVOLVEMENT

Memorise: And I will give this people favour in the sight of the Egyptians: and it shall come to pass, that, when ye go, ye shall not go empty: - Exodus 3:21

Read: Exodus 3:7-8
7 And the LORD said, I have surely seen the affliction of my people which are in Egypt, and have heard their cry by reason of their taskmasters; for I know their sorrows;
8 And I am come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land unto a good land and a large, unto a land flowing with milk and honey; unto the place of the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites.

MESSAGE:
Divine involvement simply suggests God’s participation in a subject matter. When the Almighty God gets involved in a person’s affairs, it will appear as if the fellow is wiser or more powerful than others. Nothing becomes impossible for such a person. Whatever the challenge he or she is facing becomes history. The moment the Almighty God got involved in the affliction of the children of Israel, things began to work out for their good. God declared His involvement in their situation in Exodus 3:8a. He said:

Open Heavens Devotional for Sunday 11th January, 2015: THE DAY OF FAVOUR

TOPIC: THE DAY OF FAVOUR

Memorise: For thou, LORD, wilt bless the righteous; with favour wilt thou compass him as with a shield. - Psalm 5:12

Read: Esther 5:1-3
1 Now it came to pass on the third day, that Esther put on her royal apparel, and stood in the inner court of the king's house, over against the king's house: and the king sat upon his royal throne in the royal house, over against the gate of the house.
2 And it was so, when the king saw Esther the queen standing in the court, that she obtained favour in his sight: and the king held out to Esther the golden sceptre that was in his hand. So Esther drew near, and touched the top of the sceptre.
3 Then said the king unto her, What wilt thou, queen Esther? and what is thy request? it shall be even given thee to the half of the kingdom. 
 
Message
Queen Esther found favour in the sight of the king and she was promised blessings up to one half of the kingdom. There are lots of lessons in the passage before us. First of these is that the king’s eyes located Esther. 1 Samuel 16:11-13 tells us how favour located David while he was watching over the flock of his father. Mark 5:1-15 also narrates how favour located the mad man of Gadara in the graveyard. A sister who had been looking for a husband once attended a funeral service. In attendance also was a brother who had also been looking for a wife. On seeing her, he concluded that if the sister could look that beautiful in mourning clothes, she would look awesome when in high spirits. There and then, he concluded to go after her hand in marriage. This shows favour can locate you anywhere you are.

Open Heavens Devotional for Saturday 10th January, 2015: WONDERS OF HIS PRESENCE

TOPIC: WONDERS OF HIS PRESENCE

Memorise: Thou wilt show me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore. - Psalm 16:11

Read: Isaiah 40:28-31
28 Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding.
29 He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength.
30 Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall:
31 But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.

Message
In Psalm 16:11, the Psalmist reveals that it’s in the presence of the Lord we can find fullness of joy. It is wise therefore to be in God’s presence. We are guaranteed joy and everlasting satisfaction in His presence. Sin drives a man from the presence of the Lord. It was after the Fall that Adam and his wife ran from the presence of the Lord (Genesis 3:8). Prophet Jonah, in disobedience, also ran from the presence of the Lord and ended up in the belly of the fish (Jonah 1:3, 15&17). When a man runs from God’s presence, he is half-dead. Only the mercy of God can make him survive it.

Open Heavens Devotional for Friday January 9, 2015: THE WONDER-WORKING PRAISE

TOPIC: THE WONDER-WORKING PRAISE

Memorise: And when he had consulted with the people, he appointed singers unto the LORD, and that should praise the beauty of holiness, as they went out before the army, and to say, Praise the LORD; for his mercy endureth for ever. - 2 Chronicles 20:21

Read: 2 Chronicles 20:21-24

21 And when he had consulted with the people, he appointed singers unto the LORD, and that should praise the beauty of holiness, as they went out before the army, and to say, Praise the LORD; for his mercy endureth for ever. 

22 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.

23 For the children of Ammon and Moab stood up against the inhabitants of mount Seir, utterly to slay and destroy them: and when they had made an end of the inhabitants of Seir, every one helped to destroy another. 

24 And when Judah came toward the watch tower in the wilderness, they looked unto the multitude, and, behold, they were dead bodies fallen to the earth, and none escaped.

Open Heavens Devotional for Thursday 8th January, 2015: THE WONDER-WORKING PRAYER

TOPIC: THE WONDER-WORKING PRAYER

 Memorise: But Peter put them all forth, and kneeled down, and prayed; and turning him to the body said, Tabitha, arise. And she opened her eyes: and when she saw Peter, she sat up. - Acts 9:40

Read: Mark 9:20-29
20 And they brought him unto him: and when he saw him, straightway the spirit tare him; and he fell on the ground, and wallowed foaming.
21 And he asked his father, How long is it ago since this came unto him? And he said, Of a child.
22 And ofttimes it hath cast him into the fire, and into the waters, to destroy him: but if thou canst do any thing, have compassion on us, and help us.
23 Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth. 24 And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.
25 When Jesus saw that the people came running together, he rebuked the foul spirit, saying unto him, Thou dumb and deaf spirit, I charge thee, come out of him, and enter no more into him.
26 And the spirit cried, and rent him sore, and came out of him: and he was as one dead; insomuch that many said, He is dead.
27 But Jesus took him by the hand, and lifted him up; and he arose.
28 And when he was come into the house, his disciples asked him privately, Why could not we cast him out?
29 And he said unto them, This kind can come forth by nothing, but by prayer and fasting.

Open Heavens Devotional for Wednesday 7th January, 2015: WONDER-WORKING NAME

TOPIC: WONDER-WORKING NAME

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: Matthew 1:21-23

21 And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins. 

22 Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying,

23 Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us

MESSAGE:
From Mark 16:17, we understand that signs and wonders shall follow those who believe in the Name of Jesus Christ. The wonder-working power in the Name of Jesus Christ is also declared in Isaiah 9:6. Indeed the Name of Jesus is full of wonders. In Acts 3:6, Peter the apostle said that,

Open Heavens Devotional - Tuesday 6th January, 2015: THE WONDERS OF THE SPOKEN WORD

TOPIC: THE WONDERS OF THE SPOKEN WORD

Memorise: And God said, Let there be light: and there was light. - Genesis 1:3

Read: Genesis 1:1-3

1 In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. 

2 And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.

3 And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.

MESSAGE:
Isaiah 55:10-11 establishes the wonder-working power of the spoken Word of God. The Word of God can transform darkness to light (Genesis 1:3). This is why in Mark 10:46-52, when Bartimaeus cried for the recovery of his sight, all Jesus did was speak, and his sight was restored. Genesis 1:20-22 reveals the fact that the spoken Word of God can transform emptiness to fullness. At the beginning of creation, the world was empty and void, but when the spoken Word of God went forth, the world became full of all sorts of creatures. I prophesy to you that in the Name of Jesus Christ, the Son of the Living God, your emptiness shall be transformed to fullness.

Open Heavens Devotional for Monday, January 5, 2015: THE WONDERS OF NEW CREATION

TOPIC: THE WONDERS OF NEW CREATION

Memorise: Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. - 2 Corinthians 5:17

Read: John 3:1-5

1 There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews: 

2 The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him. 3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. 

4 Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born? 

5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.

Open Heavens Devotional for Sunday January 4, 2015: THE POWER TO BECOME

TOPIC: THE POWER TO BECOME

Memorise: But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them but believe on his name: 
- John 1:12

Read: 1 Samuel 16:11-13
11 And 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.
12 And 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.
13 Then 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.

Message:
In 1 Samuel 2:8, we read of what the Almighty God can make out of the life of an ordinary person. He gives the power to become. The power comes to an individual by the spirit of God.
When the power of the Holy Spirit comes in contact with an ordinary person, that fellow ceases to be ordinary and becomes extraordinary. However, before the gift of the Holy Spirit can come upon an individual, he or she must possess some qualities that would bring about such empowerment. Before God can entrust you with His power, He would have ascertained that you would make good use of it. God gives His power for the purpose of expanding His kingdom on earth (Acts 1:8).

Open Heavens Devotional for Saturday January 3rd, 2015: LIKE THE STARS

TOPIC: LIKE THE STARS

Memorise: And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever.  Daniel 12:3

Read: Daniel 6:19-28

19 Then the king arose very early in the morning, and went in haste unto the den of lions. 

20 And when he came to the den, he cried with a lamentable voice unto Daniel: and the king spake and said to Daniel, O Daniel, servant of the living God, is thy God, whom thou servest continually, able to deliver thee from the lions? 

21 Then said Daniel unto the king, O king, live for ever. 

22 My God hath sent his angel, and hath shut the lions' mouths, that they have not hurt me: forasmuch as before him innocency was found in me; and also before thee, O king, have I done no hurt. 

23 Then was the king exceeding glad for him, and commanded that they should take Daniel up out of the den. So Daniel was taken up out of the den, and no manner of hurt was found upon him, because he believed in his God. 

24 And the king commanded, and they brought those men which had accused Daniel, and they cast them into the den of lions, them, their children, and their wives; and the lions had the mastery of them, and brake all their bones in pieces or ever they came at the bottom of the den. 

25 Then king Darius wrote unto all people, nations, and languages, that dwell in all the earth; Peace be multiplied unto you. 

26 I make a decree, That in every dominion of my kingdom men tremble and fear before the God of Daniel: for he is the living God, and stedfast for ever, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed, and his dominion shall be even unto the end. 

27 He delivereth and rescueth, and he worketh signs and wonders in heaven and in earth, who hath delivered Daniel from the power of the lions. 

28 So this Daniel prospered in the reign of Darius, and in the reign of Cyrus the Persian.

PASTOR E.A ADEBOYE REVEALS PROPHECIES FOR THE YEAR 2015

 Revealing the New Year Prophecies at about 1:15 a. m. camp, Pastor E.A Adeboye (fondly called Daddy G.O) of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, said God said the world should pray against “massive calamities, massive earthquakes and strong hurricanes and typhoons.” The revered man of God, in his prophecies listed under four categories of Individuals, International, RCCG and Nigeria, has also predicted that the dreaded Ebola Virus Disease, which has killed over 7,000 people so far, will die out.

He further said, “Unfortunately, because it is election year, I can’t tell you all that God told me about Nigeria. But I will tell you this: By the end of the year, many will say ‘all is well that ends well.”

 


Daddy G.O's prophecies for this year is divided into four categories:

Category 1

For individuals, particularly those who fasted during the 100 days fasting and prayer:

 1. The harvest of the 100 days fast will be given this year.
2. This year will be full of testimonies; those who have none before will have some.
3. Some persons will swim in the river of abundance this year.
4. There will be miraculous completion of project.
5. There will be fulfillment of dreams.
6. There will be miraculous restorations.
7. The song of many will be “The Lord has been good to me”.

Category 2: International.

1. Scientific and medical breakthroughs will be many; particularly in the areas of insomnia, dreams and brain 

     dis-order.
2. Ebola will die out.
3. All over the world. insurgency will be considerably weakened.
4. Pray against massive calamities.
5. Pray against massive earth quakes, strong hurricanes and typhoons.

Category 3: For RCCG

This year, all you need is to charge up your batteries by fasting for forty days only.

Category 4 : For Nigeria

1. By the end of the year, many will say “all is well that ends well”