Glory-provoking commitment - Open heavens devotional by Pastor E. A Adeboye

BIBLE IN A YEAR: Hos 1-4
GLORY-PROVOKING COMMITMENT Sunday, June 27, 2010
MEMORIZE:  “And now, Lord, behold their threatenings: and grant unto thy servants, that with all boldness they may speak thy word” (Acts 4:29) READ: Acts 4:21-31 Apart from intense praise, another way of bringing down the glory is through sacrificial giving. When you give to God in an amazing manner, the Lord will come down. This was what happened in 2 Chronicles 1:6-12. After king Solomon offered 1000 cows as a single offering, God’s glory came down that night. You can attract God’s glory through your offering. There is something you can give that will bring down God’s glory. Everyone on earth has something he or she can give to God to bring down His glory. This is not limited to money. It could be your time, intellect, or other natural endowments. If you refuse to give this, you may only be hindering yourself from experiencing God’s glory that will absorb your shame, failure and reproach. How long will you keep procrastinating? When will you give God what will bring Him into your situation? Another way of bringing down God’s glory is through a purposeful prayer of dedication. God’s glory may not descend when you are petitioning Heaven with personal requests: but when you tell Him you have given your life wholly to Him and that He should take control, He will come down. In today’s reading, some disciples were sternly warned not to preach again, but as soon as they left the place, they assembled to pray.  They asked God for greater boldness to continue preaching even at the risk of losing their lives. God was so pleased that He came down and because the place could not take Him, there was an earthquake. Whenever you wholeheartedly renew your vow to serve God in the face of persecution and intense opposition, God’s glory will come down. And when God’s glory comes down, demons would flee from their hiding places. During the Convention held at Ebute Metta, Lagos, many years ago, one particular Alhaji gave his life to Christ. And as we were praising God, His glory descended and a strange creature the man had earlier swallowed jumped out of his mouth, landed on the floor and began to saunter away. As this convert began to pursue it, we held him back, took it by its tail and burnt it. As you recommit your life wholly to God, His glory will come down and every evil presence in your life will disappear. The glory of God will descend on you this season and your life will be refreshed. ACTION POINT: No evil power can withstand God’s glory. One effective way of expunging evil presence in your life or situation is by bringing down God’s glory.