WORKING RIGHT - Open heavens devotional by Pastor E. A Adeboye

BIBLE IN A YEAR: Rom 1-4
WORKING RIGHT Saturday, July 10, 2010
MEMORIZE: “I therefore so run, not as uncertainly, so fight I, not as one that beateth the air:” (1 Cor. 9:26) READ: John 21:1-6 The one who would flourish must find grace in God’s sight.  Also, the fellow must be prepared to work hard. When God has opened the door, it is not time to sleep, but time to work. In addition to these, to flourish, you must work right. Working hard is not as important as working right or else, laborers would have been the richest people on earth. Although Peter fished all night, he caught nothing because he was in the wrong place. He had to be guided on the right location and timing so that his hardwork would yield a good harvest. Today, many people are working with all their heart and might in a wrong place, job or business hence, no harvest. When at the wrong job, your efforts virtually go down the drain.  In anyway you are laboring at a wrong location, the Lord will guide you to your appropriate place of harvest in Jesus’ Name. In John 21:1-6, Peter went on another fishing expedition with his friends and got the same result. They toiled all night but caught nothing. The problem may not necessarily be with the size of your team but the location of the business. Sometimes, it is even the type of business. Many people have gone to the university to read courses that cannot offer them anything. Some people are in jobs or businesses whereas their financial harvests are somewhere else. Peter was fishing on his left side while his harvest was on the right side. Sometimes, you could be in the right business but you may be targeting the rich while you should be targeting the poor. Or your products or services may be targeted at the adults whereas your financial harvest is awaiting you in the children’s belt.  If you are not getting your desired harvest, pause a little and consider your location. If you continue to make the same inputs in the same location that has failed to give you the right yield, you may not get a different result.  In 1 Corinthians 9:26, Paul said when he fights, he makes sure he fights right and not uncertainly.  That is a good fighter.  It is not enough to be seen to be struggling or making efforts: You must work right.  If you are willing to pay the price, God is willing to move you to the top. It takes two to tango. Do your part and the Lord will do His. Many of us blame God for the lack of harvest after so much labors. Henceforth, look at the direction or location, reconsider what you do and find out from God. You will  enter your harvest this season. ACTION POINT: Father, do not allow my efforts to go down the drain: direct me on how to work right.

THE COMMUNION DEMARCAYES - Open heavens devotional by Pastor E. A Adeboye

BIBLE IN A YEAR: 1 Chron 27-29
THE COMMUNION DEMARCATES Friday, July 09, 2010
MEMORIZE: “For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins” (Matt. 26:28) READ: Exodus 8:22-23 Some thousands of years ago, a particular meal was eaten by an enslaved people and it brought down the glory of God. Whenever God’s glory descends, it has different effects on people. For instance, on that fateful night, when the glory of God came down after that meal, it brought death to the house of their captors. None was exempted. On the other hand, that same meal brought freedom, deliverance, healing, financial breakthrough and promotion to the Israelites who ate the meal. As you take the Holy Communion this season, it will give you life and bring death to every token of the liar in your life- oppression, loss, sorrow, etc. A particular man battled with insomnia for weeks. He took sleeping pills based on medical advice yet, could not sleep. After meeting his pastor for prayers one day, he was able to sleep for about two hours; after which he stared at the ceiling throughout the night. Eventually, he was invited to partake of the Holy Communion Service. He later testified that immediately after that meal, insomnia was gone and he resumed his normal sleep. Have you been battling with insomnia or any health condition? As you go in faith to the Lord’s table this season, you will be healed. On the night of Passover, the Israelites ate the uncommon meal roasted with fire, but the Egyptians did not. So when the glory of God descended, there was already a line of demarcation. Even till now, there is a line of demarcation between eaters and non-eaters of the Holy Communion. That line of demarcation could be spiritual or physical. In Egypt, while God was bringing plagues upon them, He created a line of demarcation (Exo. 8:22-23). If you don’t partake regularly of this uncommon meal, you put yourself on the other side of the divide. You could get hurt. Like the Egyptians, you could become a victim of the Consuming fire that should have protected you. How often do you go to the Lord’s table? Jesus established a link between the bread and His body, and the wine and His blood (Matt. 26:26-28). There is also a link between the wine and the Holy Spirit and fire. This means, when you drink the wine, you will be in the same situation as the Israelites when they ate the lamb roasted with fire. And as a result, expect the glory of God to come down and do what it did on that night because Hebrews 13:8 says Jesus Christ remain the same. As you take this meal, you will be demarcated for good. ACTION POINT: Father, as I partake of Your table this season, let there be a divine demarcation between me and the Egyptians in my life.

NECESSARY CHALLENGES - Open heavens devotional by Pastor E. A Adeboye

BIBLE IN A YEAR: 1 Chron 24-26
NECESSARY CHALLENGES Thursday, July 08, 2010
MEMORIZE: “Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.” (Rom 8:37) READ: 1 Samuel 16:11-13 For certain reasons, while telling us about the end, God reserves the real nitty-gritty to His chest. David is one example here. In 1 Samuel 16:11-13, David was anointed as king of Israel by their authentic king maker - prophet Samuel. God did not tell him that he would have to wait for long. He did not tell him of the intense persecution awaiting him to the point of going on exile. God did not tell him of the lion, bear, Goliath, king Saul, or cave at Adullam. Suffice it to say that between where you are and where God is taking you to, are several bus stops which come with their different challenges. Whether pleasant or not, each of such experiences has an important part to play in your life or destiny. You may not be taken through courses you do not need in the university of suffering. God has a place for every course. Jesus went through all and emerged with excellent grades. There is a place for you to be persecuted or denied. There is a place for you to be marginalized and made to feel very unimportant. There is a place for confronting your giants, lions and bears. All add up to prepare you for your destiny, without which you will be unfit for that place. Another important thing here, is that those who would end up happier at last, start by facing the worst. Those who would be very wealthy start from extreme poverty. Have you been facing rejection, marginalization and denials? It could be because God is taking you to a place of prominence where nobody can afford to ignore you. David was rejected. He was sidelined yet, he was chosen to be king. To get the best of gold, you must take it through the fire. For your best devotion, commitment, love and service to come up, you must go through fire. Stop grumbling about that Goliath because he is an assignment that you must take care of on your way to the throne. There are battles to fight and rivers to cross and some of them are fiery, yet, you are assured of His presence. If you do not go through such tough situations, your preparation will be incomplete. You cannot become a general without facing war. Everything you go through in life is necessary for you to become what God wants you to become if you are in His will. The greater the challenges, the higher your destination. Ask God for grace to handle your challenges appropriately in order to deliver the right dividend to you. ACTION POINT: The fellow who is not adequately prepared for a journey will suffer beyond measure. Ask God to prepare you for the task ahead.

DOUBT TERMINATES ABUNDANCE - Open heavens devotional by Pastor E. A Adeboye

BIBLE IN A YEAR: 1 Chron 20-23
DOUBT TERMINATES ABUNDANCE Wednesday, July 07, 2010
MEMORIZE: “He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God;” (Rom. 4:20) READ: 1 Kings 17:8-16 When you make the Prince of Peace your ally, you have lots of things to benefit from. Today’s reading tells us of a widow with a son and all they had was a meal. Her situation was beyond hopeless. But when she made the God of Elijah her ally, things took a dramatic turn. She moved from abject poverty into superfluous provision. The food that was just enough for one meal refused to finish; it carried them throughout the period of famine! Do you know such things still occur to those who have the Lord as their ally? When my father in the Lord started the RCCG, things were very tough. He will be praying at home while his wife would go and sell empty bottles in the market before they could eat. On several occasions, she would be unable to sell any bottle so there would be no food at home. One day, the Lord said to my father in the Lord, “Tell your wife to be dishing from that pot of soup without looking inside”. Mama began to dish out from the pot and out came assorted meats, fish, chicken. This continued for one week, two weeks, and after about one month, mama in her curiosity decided to peep into the pot to see the secret of such endless bountiful provision and the soup dried up. There is a user of this Devotional that will be entering into a season of limitless supernatural provision this season. When it comes, abide by divine instructions and give God the glory. The Prince of Peace has not ceased to perform wonders materially.  As long as He is on the throne, He who brought out water from the rock will ensure that from today you will not suffer lack.  In addition, He can perform wonders maritally.  Don’t think you are too old to have a baby.  If you doubt it, ask Abraham and Sarah. Their bodies had retired but when the Prince of Peace stepped in, their aging bodies were rejuvenated to fulfill God’s promise. When your time comes, with God as your ally, nothing can stop your joy.  Like Abraham, do not consider the deadness or negative physical evidence available (Rom. 4:17-21). It will change. God’s Word is forever settled. Physical things have no choice but to respond to the voice of the Wonder. Do you have Him as your ally? Then be fully persuaded that what He has done for others, He can and will do for you. ACTION POINT: When you have the Unchanging God as your ally, every unpleasant situation in your life will change.

DIVORCE, NOT A PLUS- Open heavens devotional by Pastor E. A Adeboye

BIBLE IN A YEAR: 1 Chron 17-19
DIVORCE, NOT A PLUS Tuesday, July 06, 2010
MEMORIZE: “Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder” (Matt. 19:6) READ: Romans 7:1-3 Today, there is so much noise about dating among singles.  This is largely copied from Western cultures.  Dating is about inviting someone of interest to you for an opportunity to start a relationship. Would you expect the one being dated to reveal her ugly side? If that relationship leads to marriage, then what was hid would be uncovered. Do not deceive yourself. Go to God and He will choose the right person for you. Another crucial issue for the married is divorce. As far as God’s Word is concerned, only death can separate a couple. Today, some people are arguing that the court can grant them divorce. But it is the court, not God. That the court of the land honored your divorce case does not mean that God has approved it. God has His standard which is written in the Bible and He does not have to bend to conform to the laws of the land. That some countries or states have legalized abortion does not mean that Heaven no longer regard abortion as sin. If you allow yourself to be carried away by the unrighteous laws of the land, remember, one day, both you and the judges of your nation will individually stand to be judged by the Word of God that is forever settled in Heaven. On the other hand, were divorce to be allowed, does it add to or remove from you? The least it can do is to spoil your C.V.  If you want to take up a job and you fill in your form that you are divorced, it automatically alarms your potential employers that they are dealing with a failure. Responsible men and women are sought for very important positions in organizations. If you are divorced, it means that you could not manage just one woman or at best with a few children: then how can you manage 10, 20, 50 or hundreds of employees? If a marriage fails or succeeds, everything can be traced to the head - the man. Are you married? Then you must do everything that is required for that marriage to work -excluding sinning against God. It is your duty to build your home. It is a thing of honor to hear that you keep your home and remained with one wife all through your days. You can join the winning married men and women today and let God have His way in your union. ACTION POINT: Divorce is dealing with the symptoms and not the real cause of marital problems. Divorce is not a strength but a show of extreme weakness.

You will be sought after - Open heavens devotional by Pastor E. A Adeboye

BIBLE IN A YEAR: 1 Chron 14-16
YOU WILL BE SOUGHT AFTER Monday, July 05, 2010
MEMORIZE:  “The sons also of them that afflicted thee  shall come bending unto thee; and all they that despised thee shall bow themselves down at the soles of thy feet; and they shall call thee, The city of the LORD, The  Zion of the Holy One of Israel” (Isa 60:14) READ: 1 Samuel 22:1-2 The new anointing can be so powerful. It can repeat whatever it has done for your spiritual father.  It can re-open closed doors and turn the mocked into a celebrity.  Similarly, the new anointing can turn a nobody into one who is much sought after.  In 1 Samuel 16:11-13, when Samuel came to the house of Jesse shopping for a kingly candidate, nobody presented David. His father did not. Not even his brothers considered him for such an honorable office.  It took Samuel to ask specifically for him before his name could be mentioned with ignominy. But in 1 Samuel 22:1-2, after David was anointed and went on exile to cave Adullam, the same brothers who saw nothing good in him initially came to submit themselves under his authority to become their captain. Have people written you off as a nobody? Do they marginalize, deny you your rights and consider you unfit for any meaningful position? The anointing will reverse that situation in your life this season. You that the builders and king makers have rejected will soon become the chief corner stone in Jesus’ Name.  You will be sought after.  You will be transformed into a very important personality by the anointing. While lecturing at the University of Lagos, after taking my Maths class, I usually walked with my students to their next class so that I could have an opportunity to tell them about Jesus. One day,  the daughter of a notable Muslim leader told me: “You are paid to teach Maths:  Teach it and shut up”.  After this encounter, as I was preparing for my class one day, this female student looked at her two hands and saw some strange Arabic writings under her skin. Frightened, she rushed to my office weeping and asking for help.  I told her I was paid to teach Maths and my students were already waiting. By the time I returned from the class, she was rolling on the ground weeping. So I told her I could now tell her about Jesus. Immediately, she gave her life to Jesus and we prayed a simple prayer.  She looked and still saw the writing there but I told her not to worry but return to her campus. By the time she reached for her key to open the door, she glanced at her hands and the mysterious writing had disappeared. She once despised me but the anointing made her to seek me. Those despising you will seek you. Ask God for the new anointing to increase upon your life. ACTION POINT:  Father, by your anointing, cause all those who despise me to both honor and look up to me from today.

AGREEMENT PRAYERS - Open heavens devotional by Pastor E. A Adeboye

BIBLE IN A YEAR: 1 Chron 10-13
AGREEMENT PRAYERS Sunday, July 04, 2010
MEMORIZE: “Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven” (Matt. 18:19)  READ: Matthew 18:19-20 There is power in prayer. There is much power in agreement prayers. In Luke 1:37, the angel Gabriel told Mary that conceiving a baby boy without having sexual intercourse with Joseph was not an impossibility with God. Most things that are done on earth come in different stages. God can skip one or more stages to effect what He wants and nobody can challenge Him. When Jarius was told that his sick daughter has died, Jesus simply told him not to fear (Mark 5:35-42). What is that evil news that was delivered to you? The Lord is saying to you, ‘Fear not. It shall be well with you’. God’s Word must be taken seriously. My father in the Lord once went to conduct a revival service in our church in Ilorin. During the meeting, he was moved by the Holy Spirit to ask those who were trusting God for the fruit of the womb to go shopping for baby’s things. A woman heard this, believed the man of God and agreed with his prophetic declaration. As she got home, she bought a baby cot and clothes for a baby boy and kept them in a conspicuous place for all to see. Not long after, she became the laughing stock of the community. Undeterred, she held on to the pronouncement of the man of God. Exactly nine months later, when the baby boy was born, it was now her time to laugh. Have you become an object of ridicule? Sorrow not! It is your turn to laugh. Those who have written you off have forgotten the power of faith and agreement prayer. Genesis 11:6 says there is a kind of agreement which even God will be compelled to honor. Matthew 18:19-20 says if two shall agree - you and your husband, you and your pastor, on anything, it shall be established.Deuteronomy 32:30 says agreement can cause two people to have power of control over 10,000while one person is only able to control 1,000. In Daniel 3:23-25, three young men were in agreement as they faced a fiery furnace and through their agreement in faith, they overcame the fire. Matthew 18:20 says the agreement of two or three people brings down God’s presence.How often do you use this tool of prayer? Some families are undergoing tough times simply because the couple fail to agree on some issues. If you can agree in prayer whether physically or on phone, the Lord will establish your desires. From today, make peace with your spouse and regularly tap into the benefit of agreement prayers. ACTION POINT: 70% of problems families are suffering today can be resolved through effective agreement prayers. Do you agree regularly with your spouse and children?

Taking advantage of opportunities - Open heavens devotional by Pastor E. A Adeboye

BIBLE IN A YEAR: 1 Chron 7-9
MAXIMIZING OPENINGS Saturday, July 03, 2010
MEMORIZE: “Seest thou a man diligent in his business? he shall stand before kings; he shall not stand before mean men” (Prov. 22:29) READ: Ephesians 4:26-28 The one who will flourish will need God’s favor.  That fellow will also need to be hard working because God cannot prosper the lazy.  I have seen several people who want to flourish but they don’t want to work hard.  Sometimes, when I go round in the camp at 10 am, I see some workers just having their breakfast. Those who will flourish are early risers. They work while others are asleep. To excel or reach the top, you must know how to effectively channel your energy towards work. Hebrews 11:6 says for God to reward you, you must first demonstrate diligence in seeking Him. Proverbs 22:29 says God has one place for the diligent -the top. Many people ask God to open doors of breakthrough to them. But when He does, laziness stops them from entering and garnering all the harvest they could have from them. Open doors means it’s time to work hard.  It means more assignments, responsibility and hardwork. It means taking on more assignments that will add to your income without necessarily stopping what you are presently doing, or withdrawing your commitment to God’s service. This calls for hardwork and effective time management.  Some people who cannot effectively manage their time, end up becoming less committed to God when He opens a door of blessing to them. That is wrong. That open door should not draw you away from your present level of commitment to God’s Kingdom. Many years ago, while still lecturing, my Dean came to me one day and said that he had discovered from the students that I was the best lecturer in Mathematics. I thanked him for the compliment. Then he told me they were about to start a correspondence course and that I have been chosen to prepare the course materials and would be well remunerated. Later, he said I was nominated to take some technical students in Maths. In addition, Lagos Anglican Girls Grammar school needed a Maths teacher and I was sent. CMS Grammar school also needed me for their HSC Advanced level  Maths. I took up all these openings in addition to my normal duty yet, every weekend I would still travel to go and preach. At the end of the day, what I earned from these extra teaching engagements was more than my salary.  When God opens doors to you, do you make His work to suffer? You should maximize the advantage of open doors to the Glory of God and your enhancement. ACTION POINT: Father, grant me grace to maximize every door you open to me without reducing my commitment toYou.

The Holy Communion and Eternity - Open heavens devotional by Pastor E. A Adeboye

BIBLE IN A YEAR: 1 Chron 4-6
COMMUNION AND ETERNITY Friday, July 2, 2010
MEMORIZE: “For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord’s death till he come ” 1 Cor. 11:26) READ: 1 Corinthians 11:24-30 Since man is a tripartite being comprising spirit, soul and body, challenges equally come to him from those areas. Two major challenges that will confront man in the spirit realm are spiritual bondage and eternity.  Concerning spiritual bondage, youwill notice that immediately after Israel ate the Passover meal in Exodus 12:33, an end came to their slavery of over 400 years. Those who held them and had vowed to hold them forever began to beg them to leave. They were so much in a hurry: they could not stand them any more, not even for a second! John 8:36 says, “If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed”. One major avenue for accessing freedom from bondage is through the Holy Communion. As you take the next Communion with the Lord, every thing holding you bound will let you go in Jesus’ Name. How does the Holy Communion tackle the challenge of eternal destination? 1 Corinthians 11:24-26 says partaking in the Holy Communion compels us to remember the Lord’s coming.  It also makes us remember His promises. For instance, in John 14:1-3, the Lord assures us of His return to take us to our eternal home. Also, before you take the meal, you will examine your spiritual life and see if it is right with God. If there is sin in your life, taking the uncommon meal brings sickness and death hence, you will immediately make your ways right with God (1 Cor. 11:27-30). A Christian who avoids the Lord’s table may live carelessly and therefore risk losing Heaven. But a regular communicant who keeps his or her life in line with the Word is being prepared for Heaven.  Do you regularly partake of the Holy Communion? However, you must eat this meal with caution because, even though it can make you an all-round winner, it can also make you an all-round loser. This meal can heal any sickness in your body, life, family, ministry, finances, etc. Yet, it can also kill.  Those who know the conditions for taking the Holy Communion yet, ignore them, are simply playing with fire. There are some Christians and even ministers who eat the meal unworthily - either out of shame or to make an impression that they are living right when they are not; today, they have problems that defy solutions. Examine yourself before you eat. ACTION POINT: Ask that you and everything concerning you be released from the hands of your captors and oppressors as you partake of the next Communion.

ANOINTED FOR A PURPOSE - Open heavens devotional by Pastor E. A Adeboye

BLE IN A YEAR: 1 Chron 1-3
ANOINTED FOR A PURPOSE Thursday, July 1, 2010
MEMORIZE: “The spirit of the LORD is upon me, because He hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; He hath sent me to heal the broken-hearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised” (Luke 4:18) READ: Isaiah 61:1-3 According to Isaiah 61:1-3, there is a purpose for the anointing coming on an individual. You are not anointed to wear flamboyant clothes and begin to globetrot. You are not anointed to make merchandise of the gifts and calling of God on your life. On the contrary, the anointing is for healing the sick, setting the captives free, making the barren fruitful, replacing sorrow with joy and moving the impoverished into prosperity so that the One who anointed you may be glorified. To what extent does the anointing on you impact those in need of it? In 1 Samuel 1:17, prophet Eli made a simple pronouncement on Hannah’s request. He said, ‘May your request be granted’. It was the anointing on him that brought that pronouncement into reality. Similarly, when confronted with the generous rich woman of Shunnem whose ‘but’ was a long standing case of barrenness, Elisha simply said, ‘This timenext year, you will embrace a son’. Although she expressed doubt, he however did not waste his time trying to convince her of the power in his decrees because he knew that pronouncement would be effected by the power of the double portion anointing on him. Today, by the anointing of God upon my life, I decree that it shall be well with you. During the Holy Ghost night of a particular Convention held in the old auditorium several years ago, the Lord asked me to pray over a piece of cloth and hold it so that the barren could come and touch it. The crowd that responded was beyond my expectation. They came out in hundreds. At a point, I became tired and decided to discontinue. Just then came this woman weeping profusely that I only became tired when it was her turn. Reluctantly, I asked the ushers to give her the cloth. The following year she came to testify with her baby. The Most High God is higher than any problem confronting you. In Jeremiah 32:27 He asks: ‘ Can anything be too hard for the God of all flesh?’ Matthew 3:9 says God can bring children out of stones. Those who thought you will die in poverty have forgotten that God can bring water out of the rock. They have also forgotten that as the sovereign Lord, He does whatever He pleases. So it does not matter what the enemy or that impossible boss may think; Nobody can hinder God’s workings (Is. 43:13). What is important is what God thinks about you. Like Joseph, every good word the Lord has spoken concerning you will come to pass. ACTION POINT: Ask that the purpose of the anointing on your life be fulfilled in Jesus’ Name.

THE UNLIMITED ALLY - Open heavens devotional by Pastor E. A Adeboye

BIBLE IN A YEAR: Hos 11-14
THE UNLIMITED ALLY Wednesday, June 30, 2010
MEMORIZE: “And think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham“ (Matt. 3:9) READ: Matthew 3:7-9 “But 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” (Romans7:23). In Romans 7:15-25, Paul talks of the ongoing battle he was caught up in. Inside him was an ongoing war. It was a winner takes all situation. If he lost, he would be enslaved to his flesh permanently. But thank God he was able to get are liable ally - the Lord Jesus Christ, who gave him the victory. Are you having problems with the flesh? Run to the Lord today! Moreover, another form of battle is failure. Anyone who fails usually returns home in sorrow. Failure robs you of the right to move to the next level. Yet, some people have experienced failure several times. In the military, it is acceptable practice to employ the aid of allies particularly when fighting a battle you cannot win on your own. When afflicted with a sickness you cannot handle alone, you would meet a medical doctor as an ally to fight against the sickness. Jesus confirms that the sick needs a physician as an ally to overcome sickness (Matt. 9:12). Unfortunately, the doctor is limited. There is a limit beyond which a doctor cannot be useful to his patient. For instance, the woman with the issue of blood sought anally in doctors and moved from one to another, yet, her efforts were futile. Infact, instead of a positive turn, she got worse until she made the Prince of Peace her ally. By mere touching the fringe of His garment, she won her battle against sickness. Medical doctors are the mechanics of the human body and we thank God for the wonderful work they are doing. However, it is obvious that whenever a mechanic cannot repair a part of a car, he looks for the spare part. The Prince of Peace is your Maker. He has the spares of any part of your body. Are you in need of a bodily spare part? The Lord will give it to you today. In the same way, the barren looks up to the doctor as an ally to fight barrenness. But sometimes, after the specialist has examined the woman and her husband, he would declare all is well, yet, the baby is not forth coming. At other times, such human ally would say the womb is in a bad shape or that the man cannot produce children. But Matthew 3:9 says God can raise children out of stones - dead wombs. Are you barren? As you make Jesus Christ your ally and rest in Him, He will raise children out of stones for you. For a user of this Devotional, this will be your portion this season in Jesus’ Name. ACTION POINT: Father, be my ally in all the battles of life confronting me.

Casting Lots to choose a marriage partner? - Open heavens devotional by Pastor E. A Adeboye

BIBLE IN A YEAR: Hos 8-10
CASTING LOTS? Tuesday, June 29, 2010
MEMORIZE: “Marriage is honorable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge” (Heb. 13:4) READ: Acts 1:15-26 “Marriage is honorable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge” (Heb. 13:4). Marriage is an honorable thing. God created it so. But when the honor in marriage is lost, what is left becomes a thing of shame. Today, the homes of many are left in shameful ruins. Two major ways of destroying the most important virtue of the marriage institution are: through premarital sex- especially during courtship and extra -marital sex which is having sexual relations with anyone who is not your lawfully wedded spouse; either way, your honor is eroded and your marriage left in shame. If you keep your bed undefiled before or after marriage, you are not doing anyone a favor except yourself. Sins committed during courtship always hinder prayers after marriage. The devil will ask: ‘With what mouth are you asking?’ The scourge of HIV/AIDS does not even put fear in the hearts of some people. Like an advert says, AIDS does not show on the face. You do not know if that person asking you to sleep with him is about to deliver that dreaded disease and ruin your beautiful future. Take warning! Another area of note is the process of selecting one’s partner. Some people will toss a coin over two brothers or sisters to know which to choose. They are preparing for trouble! Let God guide you on your choice. When you employ the wrong method for doing something, you are most unlikely to get the expected result. In Acts 1:15-26, when the apostles wanted a replacement for Judas Iscariot, they prayed but casted lots. In those days, they would put the names of the candidates on stones, parchment or wood into an urn and after prayer, somebody would dip his hand and which ever one was picked would be considered the right choice. They did that and the lots fell on Matthias. They thought that was God’s choice after all, they prayed, but it was their choice. That was the last time that name was mentioned in the Bible. He was appointed into oblivion. That is what happens when you use a ‘lucky dip’ or fleece method in choosing your partner. Marriage is too serious a matter to handle by lots. Go to the Author of marriage and He will give you your partner. If He can do so for many, why not you? ACTION POINT: Those who use fleece or lots as basis for choosing in important matters like marriage are only displaying their spiritual laziness.

DOUBLE DESCENT - Open heavens devotional by Pastor E. A Adeboye

BIBLE IN A YEAR: Hos 5-7
DOUBLE DESCENT Monday, June 28, 2010
MEMORIZE: “But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world” (1 Cor. 11:32) READ: Judges 16:20-21 Samson rose from fornicating with an harlot and the anointing kept flowing. He kept violating God’s laws without any obvious repercussion until his cup was full. If you are defaulting in tithes and your business appears booming, fear! If you are lusting after the opposite sex, or harboring unclean thoughts or an unforgiving spirit yet, everything appears normal, fear! It could be that God has abandoned you like Ephraim. “But the Philistines took him, and put out his eyes, and brought him down to Gaza, and bound him with fetters of brass; and he did grind in the prison house” (Judges 16:21). This scripture describes what happens to the one forsaken by God. First, the fellow becomes a captive of the enemies. If Christ is no longer your Lord, Satan will take over the government of your life. And Satan is the worst slave driver ever known. Are you in your enemy’s net? How did you get there? It is possible you were captured because of persistently descending into sin and disobedience. Also, loss of spiritual sight and vision for your life is bound to result. If you once had something to live for, the moment you descend into sin, it will no more be your priority. Spiritual goals will be abandoned. Sometimes, even secular, material or academic goals could be abandoned. Sin is the greatest robber of vision and spiritual sight! Do you have a vision for your life? Another repercussion of being forsaken by God is retrogression. Samson was brought ‘down’. Anytime you descend into sin, it is a double descent: you descend into something unpleasant. You retrogress. In addition, you become bound by what you cannot easily break free from. Living in sin ties you down to the same spot. Sin is tougher than fetters of iron. Lastly, it makes you a laughing stock to your enemies. Samson, a divine champion began to dance before the idols of his enemies. 1 Corinthians 11:32 says one reason God chastises us is to prevent us from perishing with the world. But Samson died with his enemies at his request (Judges 16:30-31). Are you sinning without repercussion? Don’t think you are clever. It could be that you are heading for an irredeemable destruction. If God does not chastise you for wrong doing, go to Him today and find out what is wrong and where you missed it. However, each time God chastises His own, He suffers too. Are you a bonafide child of God? ACTION POINT: If you sin but nothing pricks your heart of guilt, that heart has been deadened. Ask God for a living and sensitive heart.

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.

FOLDING HANDS? - Open heavens devotional by Pastor E. A Adeboye

BIBLE IN A YEAR: Obad; Jonah 1-4
FOLDING HANDS? Saturday, June 26, 2010
MEMORIZE: “He that trusteth in his riches shall fall: but the righteous shall flourish as a branch” (Prov. 11:28) READ: Proverbs 6:9-11 “He that trusteth in his riches shall fall: but the righteous shall flourish as a branch” (Prov. 11:28). It is possible for you to flourish. If you have been recreated in Christ, then God has given you the nature to enable you flourish. How can you flourish? You can flourish through finding favor in God’s sight. Also, to flourish, you need to work hard. In Luke 5:5, it is on record that Peter toiled all night. Lazy people do not work at night. The lazy find it difficult to do hard work. That is why they cannot flourish. If you want to flourish spiritually, you must be prepared to work hard on your spiritual life. If you cannot wake up at night to pray for one, two or more hours, how can you rule your night so that you can reign during the day? This is one reason the poor and the rich maintain status quo: while the poor is enjoying sleep at night, the rich is strategizing against the next day. You do not conquer your day while it is day but when it is night. Jesus and His Father are hard workers (John 5:17). If you are lazy, go and look for your father; it is definitely not the Creator of the Heavens and the earth! Proverbs 6:9-11 says the sluggard loves sleep. He looks for every opportunity to take a little sleep. With his table full of untreated files, he will be dozing. The sluggard is full of reasons for not doing his job now. He believes that the work will somehow take care of things on its own. The sluggard expects God to come down from Heaven to do what he or she is supposed to do; that is why the fellow is always folding the hands. If it is taking you so long to take a single decision, you may be a sluggard. If you can afford to do nothing in the midst of so much work, you are a sluggard. If you are ever expecting somebody else to do that particular assignment, you are a sluggard. If there are many restitutions yet to be settled in your life, you are a sluggard. If you continue to fold your hands, God will also fold His. But if you want God to swing into action in your life, start something today. For the one who will flourish, there is no excuse, no matter how legitimate that will keep the fellow in idleness. If you are lazy, the deliverance you need is to start something immediately. ACTION POINT: In what areas are you folding your hands today? Rise up and start doing something and God will back you up.