Using your God-given potential- Open heavens devotional by Pastor E.A Adeboye

 TODAY: Saturday 16 January


TOPIC: POWER TO BECOME

MEMORIZE: “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 mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace” (Isa. 9: 6)

READ: John 1: 11-13

God has created everyone with potential. Unfortunately, some do not realize their potential while those who do, fail to fully exploit it. Only a negligible few exhaust their God-given potential on earth. May you not leave this world without fully realizing your potential in Jesus’ name. Recognizing your potential starts from knowing the Lord Jesus and discovering your purpose in life. God did not just create you for fun or to add up to the number but to fulfil a definite purpose. According to John 1: 12, part of God’s plan for you is to attain full sonship. There is a great difference between being born again and being a son of God. As a child, Jesus had to wait to be processed into the level of full sonship before He could go to the Cross (Isa. 9: 6). It took encountering the power of the Holy Spirit to prepare Him to fulfil destiny (Acts 10:38). Without an encounter with the power of the Spirit, you would remain trapped and would live far below your potential. To fulfil your destiny, you must partner with the Holy Spirit.

Another character who realized his potential was Peter. If you compare Peter before the descent of the Holy Ghost at Pentecost with the Peter after Pentecost, you will notice some sharp differences. Before Pentecost, Peter was full of fear. He found it difficult to stand on his convictions. Even a maid could make him deny the Lord but after Pentecost, Peter realized his leadership potential but lacked the fire, zeal, direction and divine backing of the Holy Spirit to fulfil it. As a result of this, he dumped his main purpose of existence – fishing souls, for his old business – fishing, after Christ’s death (John 21: 1-3). But after Pentecost, he was able to perform according to Heaven’s expectations. Are you feeling weak, fearful and discouraged from taking the necessary steps to fulfilling your purpose on earth? Like Peter, you need to encounter the power of the Holy Spirit and what you lack will suddenly be provided. You shall fulfil your destiny in Jesus’ name. ask God for the power to become what you were meant to be.

ACTION POINT: The Holy Spirit is directly linked with man’s destiny. There is no fulfilled destiny without successful cooperation with the Holy Spirit.