LEAVING YOUR SLUM?- Open heavens devotional by Pastor E. A Adeboye

BIBLE IN A YEAR: 2 Kgs 1-3
LEAVING YOUR SLUM?
MEMORIZE: “Keep my commandments, and live; and my law as the apple of thine eye” (Prov. 7:2) READ: Luke 5:1-11 There are infallible divine principles that will definitely lead you into your financial breakthrough if followed. As long as you are walking in the path of righteousness, if you observe these principles, your destination is sure. In 2 Kings 4:1-8, the widow observed them and moved from obscurity into limelight. First, there is help for the desperate. Until you get to desperation point, you may never see a change. Also, God would always respond to the urgent needs of thank givers and vow payers. Another divine principle is that divine change is usually precipitated upon divine direction. For the widow to move from extreme lack to abundance, the man of God gave her at least eight specific instructions. Similarly, in Luke 5:1-11, Jesus gave Peter at least four definite instructions to move him from zero catch to boat-sinking catch. If you fail to hear what Heaven is saying on how to solve a particular problem, there could be no breakthrough yet. Irrespective of the configuration or nature of your present challenge, Heaven has clear cut guidelines that could help you tackle it. May you be disciplined enough to receive them before you run. Running without those instructions leads to a waste of time and other valuable resources. It is worth tarrying until you receive these instructions. These apart, we see that God delights in lifting the poor from unfortunate circumstances. The widow lived among very poor neighbors which was probably why they had several empty vessels to spare. What could have been a disadvantage suddenly worked for her, providing her with an opportunity for a financial turn around. Are you living in the slums of your city? Are you thinking you may have to move out of Ajegunle, Mushin, Okokomaiko, Ikorodu (all slum areas in Nigeria), or even out of Nigeria in order to make it? Oh, not so fast! Your turnaround will meet you in that slum.  That ghetto, and your poor neighbors may become your greatest treasures and means to your financial turning point. The rule is, until God asks you to relocate, remain where you are and ask God to open your eyes to see what to do to change your life. Your life is experiencing a divine touch this season. ACTION POINT: When God is added to an equation, unpleasant living conditions become immaterial. Always wait to hear from God.

DEFERRED KNOWLEDGE- Open heavens devotional by Pastor E. A Adeboye

BIBLE IN A YEAR: 1 Kgs 20-22
DEFERRED KNOWLEDGE
MEMORIZE: “Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us” (Eph. 3:20) READ:  Ephesians 3:19-21 For strategic reasons, while showing you His planned destination for your life, God may however hold back the unpleasant details. If Joseph were privy to the unpleasant experiences he was to go through, he would have abandoned his dream. God has a purpose for all the bus stops of life you may have to visit. This is why you should give Him thanks in every situation - adverse or not: all will work in your favor one way or another. By the time Joseph finally arrived at his destination, he was shocked; it was far bigger than he imagined. All along, he thought he was only going to be greater than his brothers and at best his family, but now, he was to rule over the world.    While he was in charge of all the servants of Portiphar, he thought he had arrived until trouble came. You are not where you are by mistake.  God is at work in your life if you have truly given your life to Him and allowed Him full control of it. Where you are is not the ultimate place God is taking you. Don’t think you have arrived.  You are far from reaching Heaven’s goal but you will get there. Similarly, when God called Moses at the age of 80 to go and rescue the enslaved Israelites, He did not tell him that Pharaoh will reject his message. He did not tell him about the Red Sea. He did not tell him of the thirst they were going to face. He was not told of the wilderness of Sin. When God tells you that you are going to become a General Overseer of a church, He will not tell you how many ungrateful pastors and workers you will have. He may not tell you of those who will be plotting your fall while you are busy fasting and praying for their good. God did not tell Moses that Miriam and Aaron would pitch tent against him.  Even when He declines to tell you of the challenges that will confront you on your journey, He will not fail to be by your side. He does not want your heart troubled. There is no challenge or difficulty too great or too bad that God cannot fix. What are the challenges confronting you today? Simply turn them over to the Lord of Host. He will give you permanent victory.  And when you get to your final destination, you will see that it is bigger, greater, better and far beyond your expectation. ACTION POINT: When you have access to know something before due time, it could lead to abuse. Ask God to help you to know what you need to know at the right time.

THY KINGDOM COME- Open heavens devotional by Pastor E. A Adeboye

BIBLE IN A YEAR: 1 Kgs 17-19
THY KINGDOM COME
MEMORIZE: “Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven” (Matt. 6:10) READ: Matthew 6:9-13 Satan loves to disgrace his followers. He leads them to the battle front and assures them of victory only to tactically withdraw when they are not looking. Why? He loves to clothe people with shame. Every plan to clothe you with shame this season shall come to naught. Are you in control of your life? Or is Satan dominating you? One cry that should bring you out is, ‘Let your Kingdom come’. In the Lord’s prayer, Our Lord Jesus Christ taught us to say, “Thy kingdom come”.  Why? It is because apart from self government and Satan’s government, there is divine government.  Until you come under the authority of this Heavenly government, you cannot have a fulfilled life. If Satan or self is in charge of your life, you must cry: Thy kingdom come! The call - ‘Thy Kingdom come’ is the cry of the desperate.  It is a call for assistance. When earth has failed, it is time to call down Heaven to intervene. For instance, the Gadarene demoniac of Mark 5:1-20 was hopelessly trapped by the powers of darkness. As he complied with the shameful dictates of his spiritual captors, he cried but could not help himself. He was sad and tormented. Then one day, Heaven smiled on him. The one Satan had concluded would die in captivity got respite; Jesus came his way. Before his captors could think of what to do, in one moment of sanity, he ran with such speed that he could have clenched first prize in a 100 metres dash. He knelt down before the Lord and worshipped Him. As he submitted to the Lord, he was saying, ‘Thy Kingdom come’. He was fed up of the satanic kingdom.And that was how he got his deliverance. Have you been in bondage for so long that contrary to your will, you have remained in Satan’s sin or slave market?  Have forces of darkness held you bound? The Lord is giving you respite this moment. This is your moment of change. Like the erstwhile demoniac, run to submit to Jesus and ask His Kingdom to come into your life. Every force of darkness holding you against your will is broken now.  The Lord is setting you free now. Totally turn your life over to Him. Suddenly, you will find that you are more powerful than your former captors. ACTION POINT: Father, let Your Kingdom come into every area of my life and family today.

Replaying your Father's experience- Open heavens devotional by Pastor E. A Adeboye

BIBLE IN A YEAR: 1 Kgs 14-16
REPLAYING YOUR FATHER’S EXPERIENCE
MEMORIZE: “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father” (John 14:12) READ: 2 Kings 2:13-14 What are the possibilities of the new anointing? The new anointing can do for you what it has done for your father.  In 2 Kings 2:13-14, when Elisha came to river Jordan, he struck the waters with the mantle of Elijah and said: “Where is the Lord God of Elijah?” In other words, he was saying, ‘Lord, if it is true that I have received the new anointing, let it part the river into two like it did for my spiritual father Elijah’. The result was instant! If you are my spiritual son or daughter, what the new anointing has done in and through my life can be reproduced in and through you. Why this is different from what people get is that many are too lazy to pay the price that Heaven expects; while some fail to even take a step of faith. As you key into this knowledge and pay the price, the Lord will reproduce in your life the great things He has been doing in me in Jesus’ Name.  To benefit from this grace, you must be a bonafide spiritual son. Another possibility of the new anointing is that it can reopen ways: It can cause doors that were shut to others to open to you. When others were heading for a location beyond the Jordan, they terminated their journey at the brink of river Jordan. But when Elijah and Elisha got to this river, the Jordan parted and they both walked on dry ground after which the river came together again. With the new anointing, the terminal point of those with the old anointing will be your starting point. The best of others would be your least. You will have entry into new frontiers, new discoveries and you will know no limitation. After one of my daughters wedded, she had a child but thereafter, the second child was not forthcoming after several years, even after she and her husband were declared OK by the doctor. While coming to inspect the choir in the old auditorium, the choir master gave me a ride since my driver was not around. As I disembarked and the lady sighted me, she screamed that her day had finally come. As the choir members were queuing up, she quickly dashed to the car and sat where I sat. She became pregnant that month. Every yoke of difficulty in your life is broken now in Jesus’ Name. In all your acquisition, get the new anointing. With the new anointing, you can replay, repeat or relive your father’s experiences. ACTION POINT: Ask God for the grace to repeat the miracles that Jesus did and even more.

Rejoice in tribulations- Open heavens devotional by Pastor E. A Adeboye

BIBLE IN A YEAR: 1 Kgs 11-13
REJOICE IN TRIBULATIONS
MEMORIZE: “Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake” (Matt. 5:11) READ: Revelation 1:9-11 “I John, who also am your brother, and companion in tribulation, and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was in the isle that is called Patmos, for the word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus Christ” (Rev. 1:9). One common practice with believers of old was their ability to accept and rejoice in tribulations, sufferings, shame and discomfort that came as a result of their faith in Christ. They had an understanding that the moment they publicly declared for Jesus, they became targets of persecution. Unlike us, they did not cry, whip up emotions or engage in self pity as they suffered for Christ; but instead rejoiced exceedingly for being counted worthy to partake in Christ’s suffering (Acts 5:40-42). Persecution did not terminate the Gospel during the Early Church, it rather made those who were sleeping spiritually to go everywhere preaching the Gospel. According to Acts 4:18-31, threats could not stop the disciples; it rather doubled their courage to declare the Gospel they were warned never to preach again. Many of us have stopped preaching even without threat. Even when there is no serious persecution, we manufacture excuses for not continuing with the Word.Are you truly a companion in tribulation? In Matthew 5:10-12, the Lord reveals the blessedness of being persecuted for Christ’s sake. He told us it is something worth celebrating. That was the response of the Early Church. John the Beloved suffered for Christ like other disciples.When he could not be roasted in boiling oil, he was brought out and banished in a most dangerous island where his only companions were wild animals. He rejoiced and there, he got the Book of Revelation. Do you know that periods of hardship, denials and sufferings are Heaven’s ideal moments for revelations? Have you been complaining, regretting or sorrowing over the difficulties, problems and trials as a result of your faith? Stop that today! Jesus says you should rejoice because of the great rewards that will come to you. In addition, John was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day when he received the Book of Revelation. This shows that your state of preparedness determines the insight you receive whenever you go into God’s presence. If you are in the flesh, you would find it difficult to access the things of the Spirit. Do you know it is good to wait on the Lord to access His presence on Sunday morning? If you would get the best from God, deny your flesh as you enter His presence. You will not return empty. ACTION POINT: Persecutions because of your faith in Christ should be celebrated, not mourned. How do you handle this? Rejoice in the LORD Always - Wall & Window Words 48 inch

EARLY SIGNS IN A CHILD- Open heavens devotional by Pastor E. A Adeboye

BIBLE IN A YEAR: 1 Kgs 8-10
EARLY SIGNS
MEMORIZE: “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it” (Proverbs 22:6) READ: Exodus 2:1-4 It may be easy bringing a child into this world, but the responsibility of raising up that child to become somebody of repute, laden with the right character, attitude and response to God, men and environmental factors is far higher and more demanding. Proverbs 22:6 says, “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it”. To be able to raise up godly seeds for God’s Kingdom, parents must be of godly stock. The trainer must be firmly rooted in Christ. You cannot give your child what you don’t have. You also must have the right values. If your value system is weak or faulty, it will definitely reflect in your children’s upbringing. If you have weak morals, your children’s will even be worse. To train a child requires paying careful attention to his or her needs. Children manifests early signs or traits that can help to determine what they could become. But if parents are not paying attention, they would miss it. Do you know athletes manifests signs of what they would be within their first six years? You would know a child who will be caring, or be in the ministry of helps, be a doctor or one who will get involved in a technical or engineering profession as early as six. In today’s passage, after Moses was born, he began to manifest early signs connected with his destiny on earth. His parents were spiritually sensitive. They could easily pick the signs that this was not just an ordinary child but a child of destiny. His birth gave them hope for a savior to salvage the Israelites from a long period of bondage. When they observed the signs, they were encouraged to preserve him at the risk of their lives. Have you been able to recognize the early signs of your children’s potentials?Have you identified areas they are gifted within their first three years? If you miss the early signs, you may need to fast and pray much later in life in order to receive it. It is expected that once you have identified the early signs connected with your child’s destiny, you would begin to raise the child along that line. You would be expected to make great sacrifices like Moses’ parents. You would study that child, know his strengths and weaknesses and know how to help him. What could stop the child from excelling later in life will show in his early years. It is your duty as parents, guardians or leaders to help him overcome such traits early enough in order to fulfil God’s plan for his life. Do you pick the early signs? ACTION POINT: Ask God to make parents and guardians more sensitive to the needs of their children and wards.Raising Godly Children in an Ungodly World

GOD'S COMPANION?- Open heavens devotional by Pastor E. A Adeboye

BIBLE IN A YEAR: 1Kgs 5 -7
GOD’S COMPANION?
MEMORIZE: “And he ordained twelve, that they should be with him, and that he might send them forth to preach” (Mark 3:14) READ: Mark 3:13-15 Israel was a nation that upheld the virtues of chastity.  A lady was expected to remain a virgin until marriage. In fact, on the first night of their honeymoon, the bridegroom was expected to verify the claim of virginity of his wife. And if the proof was not there, that marriage was regarded as a fraud. The issue of virginity was beyond the family. It was of national importance. Today, most nations of the world do nothing to encourage virginity.  Rather, they allow very permissive and liberal laws that ensure that at the end of the day, no virgin is left.  In some countries, the statistics of rape is rather alarming. Imagine having a rape victim out of every four ladies, age not withstanding. Why won’t it be so when ladies are allowed to dress suggestively and sometimes in the nude? Christian leaders, families and Christians communities must not only rise and condemn this madness in the guise of fashion, but also ensure that everyone under their power of influence are brought up to rebel against it. There were many virgins in Israel but only ten were chosen. God has chosen you as His servant for some reasons. According to today’s reading, you were chosen for companionship. One relationship where companionship is a very strong force is the marriage institution. God likes being in company of His loved ones. In the Garden of Eden, He frequently visited Adam before the fall because He needed his company.  If you are a servant of God but have no time for Him, your ministry cannot give the desired harvest. At best, you will be peripheral in your knowledge of your Caller and Commissioner. Years after being called into ministry, many ministers have remained strangers to the Lord. True companionship facilitates mutual knowledge: God will get to know you intimately and you will get to understand the God you work for. Before He can entrust you with great Kingdom assignments, He must know you. Are you God’s companion? Is it boring for you to spend an hour or two daily in His presence - just to keep Him company? If you must excel in ministry, Get to be in His company from today.  Your first assignment as a minister of God is to be with Him. Are you with Him today?Let Somebody Shout Hallelujah! The Life and Ministry of Pastor E. A. Adeboye ACTION POINT:  If you can keep God company, all the good things of life and ministry will be your guests.