Open Heaven For Today 2023 Saturday Daily Devotional By Pastor E. A. Adeboye – Children As Divine Weapons
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TOPIC: Children As Divine Weapons
MEMORISE: “Behold, I and the children whom the Lord hath given me are for signs and for wonders in Israel from the Lord of hosts, which dwelleth in mount Zion.” – Isaiah 8:18 (KJV)
READ: Psalm 127:3-5 (KJV)
3 Lo, children are an heritage of the Lord: and the fruit of the womb is his reward.
4 As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth.
5 Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them: they shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Job 1-4
Open Heaven For Today 2023 MESSAGE:
Divine weapons may appear so ordinary that enemies often belittle and despise them, however, to their detriment. Examples of such weapons in the Bible include the rod of Moses in Exodus 14:13-16, the shout of Hallelujah that brought down the walls of Jericho in Joshua 6:20, prayer and praise that caused the chains of Paul, Silas, and all the other prisoners to be broken (Acts 16:25-26), and many more. These examples show how divine weapons that seem unimportant to the enemy were deployed to accomplish great victories for the people of God.
We also have clear examples of what happens when children are used to symbolise divine weapons. Psalm 127:3-5 says:
3 Lo, children are an heritage of the Lord: and the fruit of the womb is his reward. 4 As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth. 5 Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them: they shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate.
The above passage confirms that though children have biological parents, they are of divine origin. Children are compared with arrows which require much skill, craftsmanship, and training before they can be used effectively. So also, children need the knowledge of the word of God, good education, discipline and godly upbringing, to assume the leadership positions that God has in store for them in life.
The passage further tells us that they shall speak with the enemies in the gate. In Bible days, the city gate was like a public square, the gathering place where elders sat to settle disputes, render judgment, and make important decisions. Boaz settled the issue of his marriage to Ruth at the city gate in Ruth 4:1-6. Parents of godly children have nothing to be ashamed of, they can move about with their heads held up high at any public gathering. Godly children are indeed weapons in the hand of God.
PRAYER POINT:
Father, please let my children – born and unborn become powerful divine weapons, in Jesus’ name.
HYMN 13: Jesus Loves Me, This I Know
1 Jesus loves me, this I know,
For the Bible tells me so.
Little ones to Him belong;
They are weak, but He is strong.
Refrain:
Yes, Jesus loves me! Yes, Jesus loves me!
Yes, Jesus loves me! The Bible tells me so.
2 Jesus loves me He who died,
Heaven’s gate to open wide,
He will wash away my sin,
Let His little child come in.
3 Jesus loves me, loves me still,
Tho’ I’m very weak and ill
From His shining throne on high
He will watch me where I lie.
4 Jesus loves me He will stay
Close beside me all the way,
If I love Him when I die
He will take me home on high.
Open Heavens 2023 Daily Devotional guide was written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye, the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, one of the largest evangelical church in the world and also the President of Christ the Redeemer’s Ministries. The Open Heavens devotional application is available across all mobile platforms and operating systems: iOS, Android, Blackberry, Nokia, Windows Mobile and PC. Open Heaven for Today 2023
Open Heaven For Today 2023 Friday Daily Devotional By Pastor E. A. Adeboye – The Gate of Mercy
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TOPIC: The Of Mercy
MEMORISE: “All the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth unto such as keep his covenant and his testimonies.” – Psalm 25:10 (KJV)
READ: Romans 9:15 (KJV)
15 For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Esther 6-10
Open Heaven For Today 2023 MESSAGE:
The gate of mercy is very wide and this is inspired by God’s immeasurable love for us. Psalm 108:4 says:
For thy mercy is great above the heavens: and thy truth reacheth unto the clouds.
The gate of mercy is so wide that it can take everybody in the world (John 3:16); however, this gate of mercy can be shut suddenly, in a way that no one can explain. The gate of mercy can snap shut within the twinkling of an eye. Proverbs 29:1 says, “He that being often reproved hardeneth his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy”.
Many a time when the gate makes an attempt to snap shut, God’s love will push it open again, but a time would come when it will snap shut and nothing can open it again.
Some years ago, a woman was very sick and the doctors said there was nothing more they could do for her so her relatives brought her to me for prayers. As I laid my hand on her, I felt the anointing like hot oil flow through my hand, but as it got to her head, it returned immediately. asked God why and He said, “I have had mercy and warned her several times, but she wouldn’t listen. It is now my turn to refuse to heal her”. I ran to the altar and cried to God, saying, “Please Lord, You said You don’t want the destruction of a sinner and Your mercy endures forever; please have mercy!” I ran back to her and placed my hand on head again but the same thing happened. I ran back to the altar, pleading for God to have mercy on her, but by the time I went three times and returned to lay hands on her again, she was dead.
Remember the story of the fruitless tree in Luke 13:6-9? God said, “For three years I have examined this tree and done everything I could for it, yet it bore no fruit; I will cut it down”. Mercy said, “Give it another chance, another year, to see what happens; if it still doesn’t bring forth fruit, You can then cut it”.
You don’t know when your last chance will be. You don’t know if the last time you sinned was your last chance before the gate of mercy shuts against you. Surrender completely to Jesus Christ now before it is too late.
KEY POINT:
The gate of mercy can be shut at any time. Start living holy now so that it doesn’t shut you out of the mercy of God.
HYMN 15: Pass Me Not, O Gentle Saviour
1 Pass me not, O gentle Saviour,
Hear my humble cry;
While on others Thou art calling,
Do not pass me by.
Refrain:
Saviour, Saviour,
Hear my humble cry;
While on others Thou art calling,
Do not pass me by.
2 Let me, at Thy throne of mercy
Find a sweet relief;
Kneeling there in deep contrition,
Help my unbelief.
3 Trusting only in Thy merit
Would I seek Thy face
Heal my wounded, broken spirit,
Save me by Thy grace.
4 Thou, the spring of all my comfort,
More than life to me.
Whom have I on earth beside Thee?
Whom in heav’n but Thee?
Open Heavens 2023 Daily Devotional guide was written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye, the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, one of the largest evangelical church in the world and also the President of Christ the Redeemer’s Ministries. The Open Heavens devotional application is available across all mobile platforms and operating systems: iOS, Android, Blackberry, Nokia, Windows Mobile and PC. Open Heaven for Today 2023
Open Heaven For Today 2023 Thursday Daily Devotional By Pastor E. A. Adeboye – The Internal Enemy
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TOPIC: The Internal Enemy
MEMORISE: “He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty; and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city.” – Proverbs 16:32 (KJV)
READ: Judges 14:1-3 (KJV)
1 And Samson went down to Timnath, and saw a woman in Timnath of the daughters of the Philistines.
2 And he came up, and told his father and his mother, and said, I have seen a woman in Timnath of the daughters of the Philistines: now therefore get her for me to wife.
3 Then his father and his mother said unto him, Is there never a woman among the daughters of thy brethren, or among all my people, that thou goest to take a wife of the uncircumcised Philistines? And Samson said unto his father, Get her for me; for she pleaseth me well.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Esther 1-5
Open Heaven 25 May 2023 MESSAGE:
It is true that we wrestle with many external enemies described as principalities, powers, rulers of the darkness of this world, and spiritual wickedness in high places (Ephesians 6:12). Many people however, fight against themselves thereby constituting an internal enemy to themselves.
For example, there are many people who believe they are free to do anything they wish with their body; they therefore would not deny themselves anything their heart desires. This mindset often leads to sinful practices like indecent dressing, drunkenness, sexual immorality, gluttony, lasciviousness, idolatry, anger, selfishness, drug addiction and the likes. Such practices often produce results that are detrimental to the body, sometimes generating life-threatening repercussions. These sinful practices should therefore be correctly identified as internal enemies of all human beings. (1 Corinthians 3:17) says:
If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.
This is an important statement with a very serious implication. The Almighty God, our Creator, wants us to know that He created us as His own dwelling place. He went on to say that if anyone defiles the temple of God, he or she shall be destroyed. This is probably the source of the increase in strange ailments and reduction in life expectancy across the world. Those who defile or abuse their bodies with alcohol, hard drugs, sexual immorality, unhygienic food and unhealthy exposure to dangerous substances often become sick and end up dying prematurely. Many incidents of youths all over the world dying from drug addiction, mental illness, hypertension, suicide, liver-related problems and so on are traceable to these internal enemies. Mark 7:23 tells us that all these evil things come from within and defile the man (the temple of God), while Galatians 5:21 says without exception that everyone who practices such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
PRAYER POINT:
Father, please help me not to be an enemy to myself, in Jesus’ name.
HYMN 19: Rock Of Ages, Cleft For Me
1 Rock of Ages, cleft for me,
Let me hide myself in Thee;
Let the water and the blood,
From Thy wounded side which flowed,
Be of sin the double cure;
Save from wrath and make me pure.
2 Not the labors of my hands,
Can fulfill Thy law’s demands;
Could my zeal no respite know,
Could my tears for ever flow,
All for sin could not atone,
Thou must save and Thou alone.
3 Nothing in my hand I bring,
Simply to Thy cross I cling
Naked, come to Thee for dress,
Helpless, look to Thee for grace,
Foul, I to the fountain fly;
Wash me, Saviour, or I die.
4 While I draw this fleeting breath,
When mine eyes shall close in death,
When I soar to worlds unknown,
See Thee on Thy judgement throne,
Rock of Ages, cleft for me,
Let me hide myself in Thee.
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