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?