RCCG Open Heavens Devotional

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL DATE: THURSDAY, JANUARY 25TH, 2024 THEME: WHATt IS GOD'S TEMPLE? 2 MEMORISE: And the blind and the lame came to him in the temple; and he healed them. (Matthew 21:14, KJV) READ: Matthew 12:9-13 (KJV) [9] And when he was departed thence, he went into their synagogue: [10] And, behold, there was a man which had his hand withered. And they asked him, saying, Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath days? that they might accuse him. [11] And he said unto them, What man shall there be among you, that shall have one sheep, and if it fall into a pit on the sabbath day, will he not lay hold on it, and lift it out? [12] How much then is a man better than a sheep? Wherefore it is lawful to do well on the sabbath days. [13] Then saith he to the man, Stretch forth thine hand. And he stretched it forth; and it was restored whole, like as the other. MESSAGE: The temple is not just the house of prayer; it is also the house of healing. In Matthew 21:14, after Jesus chased all those who were buying and selling in the temple, saying, "My house shall be called the house of prayer," the Bible says that the sick came unto Him in the temple and were healed. In our Bible reading for today, Jesus went into the synagogue and met a man with a withered hand. There were some scholars who felt that people shouldn't be healed on sabbath days. When they asked if He would heal the man with a withered hand, He told the man to stretch his hand, and he was healed. Note that the man did not ask to be prayed for; just seeing a case like that in the temple compelled Jesus to heal him. Some people have challenged me before, saying: "You people who claim that you have the power to heal, why don't you go to the hospital and heal everybody there? Why do they have to come to the church to be healed?" Truly, God can heal anywhere, but He specifically heals in the temple. There are many people who, by just stepping foot on Redemption City, got their healings. Nobody prayed for them; the mere fact that they had entered God's temple brought them their healing. Going to God's temple regularly is like going to the doctor regularly. Even when you are feeling well, and you go to see him, he will examine you, and whatever strange thing he finds in your body, he will deal with it. There are people that are carrying one sickness or the other in their bodies that they don't even know about yet. When you go to church, and the power of God falls on you, such sicknesses disappear because you have come to a place of healing. This is why I wonder if people know what they are missing when they decide to stay at home and watch a church service on TV. If you are far from the place of worship and God sees that you sincerely will like to attend physically but cannot be there, that is a different case. However, when you decide to stay at home and connect to a service that you could have easily attended, you cannot get the same atmosphere as those who are in the service physically. KEY POINT: Don't ever miss any appointment to be in church; God might decide to use the next church meeting to bring about the turning point you have been waiting for. BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Exodus 31-34 AUTHOR: Pastor E.A. Adeboye HYMN 25: THE GREAT PHYSICIAN NOW IS NEAR 1 The great Physician now is near, The sympathizing Jesus; He speaks the drooping heart to cheer, Oh! hear the voice of Jesus. Chorus _Sweetest note in seraph song,_ _Sweetest Name on mortal tongue;_ _Sweetest carol ever sung,_ _Jesus, blessed Jesus._ 2 Your many sins are all forgiven, Oh! hear the voice of Jesus; Go on your way in peace to heaven, And wear a crown with Jesus. Chorus 3 All glory to the risen Lamb! I now believe in Jesus; I love the blessed Savior's Name, I love the Name of Jesus. Chorus 4 His name dispels my guilt and fear, No other name but Jesus; Oh! How my soul delights to hear The charming Name of Jesus. Chorus

AUTHOR: Pastor E.A. Adeboye HYMN 22: SWEET HOUR OF PRAYER 1. Sweet hour of prayer! Sweet hour of prayer! That calls me from a world of care, And bids me at my Father’s throne Make all my wants and wishes known. In seasons of distress and grief, My soul has often found relief, And oft escaped the tempter’s snare By thy return, sweet hour of prayer! 2. Sweet hour of prayer! Sweet hour of prayer! Thy winds shall my petition bear To Him whose truth and faithfulness Engage the waiting soul to bless; And since He bids me seek His face, Believe His word, and trust His grace, I’ll cast on Him my every care, And wait for thee, sweet hour of prayer! 3. Sweet hour of prayer! Sweet hour of prayer! May I thy consolation share Till, from mount Pisgah’s lofty height, I view my home and take my flight; This robe of flesh I’ll drop, and rise To seize the everlasting price And shout while passing through the air, Farewell, farewell, sweet hour of prayer!

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL DATE: WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 24TH, 2024 THEME: WHAT IS GOD'S TEMPLE? 1 MEMORISE: Even them will I bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer: their burnt offerings and their sacrifices shall be accepted upon mine altar; for mine house shall be called an house of prayer for all people.(Isaiah 56:7, KJV) READ: Genesis 28:10-17 [10] And Jacob went out from Beer–sheba, and went toward Haran. [11] And he lighted upon a certain place, and tarried there all night, because the sun was set; and he took of the stones of that place, and put them for his pillows, and lay down in that place to sleep. [12] And he dreamed, and behold a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven: and behold the angels of God ascending and descending on it. [13] And, behold, the LORD stood above it, and said, I am the LORD God of Abraham thy father, and the God of Isaac: the land whereon thou liest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed; [14] And thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth, and thou shalt spread abroad to the west, and to the east, and to the north, and to the south: and in thee and in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed. [15] And, behold, I am with thee, and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest, and will bring thee again into this land; for I will not leave thee, until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of. [16] And Jacob awaked out of his sleep, and he said, Surely the LORD is in this place; and I knew it not. [17] And he was afraid, and said, How dreadful is this place! this is none other but the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven. MESSAGE: Many people don't know why they need to go to church or any place of fellowship at all. They think to themselves, “Why can't we just sit down at home? After all, God is everywhere.” So, for the next few days, I intend to spend some time looking at what God's temple really is. God’s temple is the house of prayer (Isaiah 56:7), and before anyone says that this is just in the Old Testament, Jesus Himself, the author and finisher of our faith (Hebrew 12:2), further validated it in Matthew 21:12-13. We go to the One who hears prayers (Psalm 65:2) in the house He has dedicated and assigned as the house of prayer. I know you can pray anywhere, and God will hear you, but there is a difference when you pray in the place that was originally assigned as the place of prayer. In such a place, the atmosphere is already charged, and there are heavenly protocols in place already to ensure that prayers said there are answered. When a place has been dedicated as a house of prayer, there is tremendous power there. For many years when I lived in the house that is now known as Open Heavens House, I had a small room that l called my prayer room. It is a room that was assigned as a place to pray and meet with God. As a result of the constant prayers that went on there for long hours, a portal between heaven and earth was created there, just like the one we see in our Bible reading for today. Many people had prayed for certain situations without results, however, when they entered that room to pray, testimonies followed. For example, there have been records of people entering the prayer room with glaring physical defects, and by the time they would come out, the Lord would have touched them, and the defect would have disappeared. What made the difference was not so much in the words they said, but that they prayed in a placed that had become a portal between heaven and earth. When a place has been dedicated as a place of prayer, and intense prayers have been going on there for many years, you better believe that such a place is saturated with intense power. You can pray on your own every day, but in addition to that, every time you have the opportunity to go to church to pray, please don’t miss it. KEY POINT: The temple of God is a place that is saturated with tremendous power. Make sure you go there to pray as often as you can. BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Exodus 28-30

3. He’ll never, never leave me, nor yet forsake me here, While I live by faith and do His blessed will; A wall of fire about me, I’ve nothing now to fear, With His manna He my hungry soul shall fill. Then sweeping up to glory to see His blessed face, Where rivers of delight shall ever roll: (Halleluyah) Chorus

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL DATE: TUESDAY, JANUARY 23RD, 2024 THEME: FRIENDS STRONGER THAN BROTHERS MEMORISE: A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.(Proverbs 18:24, KJV) READ: 1 Samuel 18:1-4 (KJV) [1] And it came to pass, when he had made an end of speaking unto Saul, that the soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul. [2] And Saul took him that day, and would let him go no more home to his father's house. [3] Then Jonathan and David made a covenant, because he loved him as his own soul. [4] And Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that was upon him, and gave it to David, and his garments, even to his sword, and to his bow, and to his girdle. MESSAGE: Friendship is a very sensitive topic to discuss, especially in these last days when many have become lovers of themselves (2 Timothy 3:1-2). In spite of this, however, everybody still needs good friends. Some friends can be closer to you than a brother – you need one or two of such friends around you. Such friends will challenge you to do more for God and can tell you the truth when everyone else is afraid to do so. They are people that you can have as a shoulder to lean on when the chips are down. Acts 3:1 says that Peter and John went to the temple. You may ask yourself, after the Holy Ghost descended on 120 people in Acts 2, why is the Bible bringing only these two to our notice? The reason, I believe, is that they were friends who were part of Jesus' inner circle. They were three in that circle – Peter, James and John. Out of these three, Peter and John had a close relationship even before Jesus died. If you read John 13:21-26, at the last supper, when Jesus said somebody was going to betray Him without telling them who it was, Peter beckoned to John and told him to ask Jesus. That is an example of a friend you can ask to pray for you concerning a matter you are not clear about, and he will hear from God for you. After Jesus died and rose from the dead, the link between them obviously grew stronger. In John 20:1-8, when Mary Magdalene discovered that Jesus had risen and came to tell the apostles, two of the apostles ran to the tomb; they were Peter and John. It's interesting to note that John is the one who wrote the story, and he stressed that he outran Peter and got to the tomb first – in fact, he repeated it twice! I always wonder, "Why are you telling us that you beat him emphatically?” There seemed to be a friendly competition as to who loved Jesus more between them. You need friends you can have healthy competitions with on who can pray the longest, who reads more Scriptures, who wins more souls and so on. The link between Peter and John was strong, and it rested on their relationship with Jesus. You need friends whose link with you is majorly based on the link you both have with Christ. REFLECTION: Do you have a friend who challenges you to draw closer to God? BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Exodus 24-27 AUTHOR: Pastor E.A. Adeboye HYMN 11: I’VE FOUND A FRIEND IN JESUS 1. I’ve found a friend in Jesus, He’s everything to me, He’s the fairest of ten thousand to my soul; The Lily of the valley, in Him alone I see All I need to cleanse and make me fully whole. In sorrow He’s my comfort, in trouble He’s my stay, He tells me every care on Him to roll: (Halleluyah) Chorus _He’s the Lily of the valley,_ _The Bright and Morning Star,_ _He’s the fairest of ten thousand to my soul. 2. He all my griefs has taken, and all my sorrows borne; In temptation He’s my strong and mighty tower; I’ve all for Him forsaken, and all my idols torn From my heart, and now He keeps me by His power. Though all the world forsake me, and Satan tempt me sore, Through Jesus I shall safely reach the goal: (Halleluyah) Chorus

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL DATE: MONDAY JANUARY 22ND 2024 TOPIC: GOD'S BEST FRIENDS 1V MEMORISE: “Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.” - (John 15:2) READ: JOHN 15:1-5 (KJV) 1 am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. 2 Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit. 3 Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. 4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. 5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. MESSAGE: One thing about being one of God's best friends is that you must be ready to be pruned. God's best friends are fruit-bearers; that is why He said in John 15:16 that if you bear fruits and those fruits abide, you can ask anything of Him, and He will do it. God will prune you till you are genuinely humble. He will prune you till you are completely dead to the flesh. Once He marks you as someone to bring closer to Himself, He will start pruning you. This is where many people drop off His friends list because they cannot endure His pruning. Many years ago, I was at an airport, and I was to declare all the money that I had with me. I only told the attendant about the notes and left out the coins. She told me to show her my purse, and I was embarrassed because I had to admit I had lied. The lady let it go, but I heard God's voice at that moment, "You are special to me, so I will not condone the smallest of lies from you." If you really want to be one of God's best friends, you must be ready to meet His high standards. Nobody can get close to God without going through intense discipline. You must be willing to submit to His discipline if you want to become His best friend. If God disciplines a person for doing something wrong and the person does not desist from committing that particular sin, He will eventually leave such a person as He cannot become friends with unrepentant people. Once in a while, God tests His best friends. He takes them through a period of trials to prune them and make them perfect, wanting nothing (James 1:3-4). Only a few people go through these trials and come out on the other side perfect. Only a few people can submit to these tests without compromising their faith. Are you one of those people? Beloved, it is true that divine pruning can be a painful exercise, so you must spend quality time in God's presence daily to build your spiritual strength. If you hold on and do not give up, you will not only become more fruitful, but you will also become one of God's best friends. REFLECTION: Are you willing to be pruned by God so you can get closer to Him and produce more fruit? BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: EXODUS 21-23 AUTHOR PASTOR E A ADEBOYE HYMNAL: 23 - TAKE MY LIFE, AND LET IT BE 1 Take my life, and let it be Consecrated, Lord, to Thee; Take my moments and my days, Let them flow in ceaseless praise, Let them flow in ceaseless praise. 2 Take my hands, and let them move At the impulse of Thy love; Take my feet and let them be Swift and beautiful for Thee, Swift and beautiful for Thee. 3 Take my voice, and let me sing Always, only, for my King; Take my lips, and let them be Filled with messages from Thee, Filled with messages from Thee. 4 Take my silver and my gold; Not a mite would I withhold; Take my intellect, and use Every power as Thou shalt choose, Every power as Thou shalt choose. 5 Take my will, and make it Thine; It shall be no longer mine. Take my heart; it is Thine own; It shall be Thy royal throne, It shall be Thy royal throne. 6 Take my love; my Lord, I pour At Thy feet its treasure-store. Take myself, and I will be Ever, only, all for Thee, Ever, only, all for Thee.

OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL DATE: SUNDAY JANUARY 21 2024 TOPIC: GOD'S BEST FRIENDS III MEMORISE: Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Matthew 6:10 READ: 1 CORINTHIANS 3:5-9 5 Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave to every man? 6 I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase. 7 So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase. 8 Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one: and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labour. 9 For we are labourers together with God: ye are God's husbandry, ye are God's building. MESSAGE: Many people want to be one of God's best friends so that whenever they ask Him for something, He will do it for them immediately. This is surely one of the benefits of being one of God's best friends, however, those who really become such care more about Him than they care about themselves. The priorities of a man are known from his prayer points. If your prayers are always selfish, God will not make you one of His best friends. In fact, He will not answer your prayers when they are born out of your lusts (James 4:3). Those who will be one of God's best friends are people who pray God's prayers and want to partner with Him to establish His will on earth. They are people who say regularly, "Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven." When such people go to pray, they don't go with preconceived prayer points at all times. They make a habit of going into His presence with a burden to hear from Him about what He wants to be done on earth and to pray those things into existence. Every now and then, God needs someone to stand in the gap for His people, He needs someone to pray about a particular situation so that He can have the legal right to step into that situation. If you are an intercessor, always willing to pray God's will into existence, He will draw you closer to Himself. He will tell you things that He usually doesn't tell others and show you sides of Himself that others don't see - He will even reveal His burdens to you! Only those who are willing to share in God's burdens can become one of His best friends. In Matthew 26:36-39, Jesus' best friends saw His sorrow; they saw Him in His time of distress at the garden of Gethsemane when He was crying for God to take away the cup from Him and more importantly, to let His will be done. Jesus was the one who invited them to watch with Him; they were His prayer partners. Can God invite you to watch with Him over a nation, His church or any matter at that? Can you forget all your prayer points and just keep praying for the will of God to be fulfilled like Jesus did in the garden of Gethsemane? Do you care more about God than you care about yourself? PRAYER POINT: Pray for the body of Christ with specific reference to Christians facing persecution across the world. BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: EXODUS 17-20 AUTHOR: PASTOR E.A. ADEBOYE HYMN 20 STAND UP! STAND UP FOR JESUS 1 Stand up, stand up for Jesus Ye soldiers of the cross; Lift high His royal banner, It must not suffer loss. From vict'ry unto vict'ry His army shall He lead Till ev'ry foe is vanquished And Christ is Lord indeed. 2 Stand up, stand up for Jesus, The trumpet call obey; Forth to the mighty conflict In this His glorious day. Ye that are men, now serve Him Against unnumbered foes; Let courage rise with danger And strength to strength oppose. 3 Stand up, stand up for Jesus, Stand in his strength alone; The arm of flesh will fail you, Ye dare not trust your own. Put on the Gospel armor, Each piece put on with prayer; Where duty calls or danger, Be never wanting there. 4 Stand up, stand up for Jesus, The strife will not be long; This day the noise of battle, The next, the victor's song. To him that overcometh A crown of life shall be; He with the King of glory Shall reign eternally.

OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL DATE: SATURDAY JANUARY 20 2024 TOPIC: GOD'S BEST FRIENDS II MEMORISE: But thou, Israel, art my servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, the seed of Abraham my friend. Isaiah 41:8 READ: HEBREWS 11:5-6 5 By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God. 6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. MESSAGE: From yesterday's discussion, I believe you must be very interested in becoming one of God's best friends. If you truly are, you must study those who have been best friends with Him and do what they did. One major thing you will notice about such people is a great level of faith. Faith is a major attribute that is required of anyone who wants to become God's friend. Those who will be one of God's best friends will not only have faith but have so much faith that they will be doing things that do not seem to make sense according to human understanding. Romans 4:18 says that Abraham hoped against hope - that is a great level of faith! He not only hoped in his heart, but it also showed in his action when he told everyone to start calling himself and his wife 'father of nations' and 'mother of nations' respectively, even when they were old and didn't have a child. Romans 4:19 says that he did not consider his body that it was dead; he believed God like a fool. Can you have that much faith in God that you will begin to say and do things that would make people who do not understand God's ways wonder if you are normal? Will you see the word of God as more real and potent than anything else, including natural laws? When God sees this kind of faith in someone, He draws the fellow closer to Himself. Early in my Christian walk, I learned during a Sunday School class that faith can be likened to when a child jumps from a high surface at his father's instruction without being scared of falling because he knows that his father will catch him. When I heard that, I started jumping without being scared of falling because I know from His word that He will catch me. I noticed that every time I made audacious statements or moves of faith based on God's word, He drew me closer to Himself. You can have a close relationship with God if you can just be audacious with your faith. If you can hope against hope and become a fool to others because of what you so obsessively believe in the word of God, not only will you see His word come to pass in your life, but you will also discover that He has brought you close to Himself to make you one of His best friends. KEY POINT: Without faith, it is impossible to please God. BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: EXODUS 14-16 AUTHOR: PASTOR E.A. ADEBOYE HYMN 7 I AM THINE O LORD 1 I am Thine, O Lord I have heard Thy voice, And it told Thy love to me; But I long to rise in the arms of faith And be closer drawn to Thee. Chorus: Draw me nearer, nearer blessed Lord, To the cross where Thou hast died. Draw me nearer, nearer, nearer, blessed Lord, To Thy precious, bleeding side. 2 Consecrate me now to Thy service, Lord, By the power of grace divine; Let my soul look up with a steadfast hope, And my will be lost in Thine. 3 Oh the pure delight of a single hour That before Thy throne I spend, When I kneel in prayer, and with Thee, my God, I commune as friend with friend! 4 There are depths of love that I cannot know Till I cross the narrow sea; There are heights of joy that I may not reach Till I rest in peace with Thee.

That could only have been God. Nehemiah understood the things that can happen when God remembers a fellow, and that was why he prayed that prayer in today's memory verse. Beloved, I encourage you to ask that the Almighty God should open a book of pleasant remembrance for you this year. I join my faith with yours, and I pray that He will remember you for good all through this new year and beyond, in Jesus' mighty Name. PRAYER POINT: Father, please open a book of positive remembrance for me this year. BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Exodus 1-4 AUTHOR: Pastor E.A. Adeboye 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. Chorus 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. Chorus 3. Trusting only in Thy merit Would I seek Thy face Heal my wounded, broken spirit, Save me by Thy grace. Chorus 4. Thou, the spring of all my comfort, More than life to me. Whom have I on earth beside Thee? Whom in heaven but Thee Chorus

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL DATE: TUESDAY, JANUARY 16TH, 2024 THEME: THE BOOK OF REMEMBRANCE 1 MEMORISE: Remember me, O my God, concerning this, and wipe not out my good deeds that I have done for the house of my God, and for the offices thereof. (Nehemiah 13:14, KJV) READ: Esther 6:1-11 (KJV) [1] On that night could not the king sleep, and he commanded to bring the book of records of the chronicles; and they were read before the king. [2] And it was found written, that Mordecai had told of Bigthana and Teresh, two of the king's chamberlains, the keepers of the door, who sought to lay hand on the king Ahasuerus. [3] And the king said, What honour and dignity hath been done to Mordecai for this? Then said the king's servants that ministered unto him, There is nothing done for him. [4] And the king said, Who is in the court? Now Haman was come into the outward court of the king's house, to speak unto the king to hang Mordecai on the gallows that he had prepared for him. [5] And the king's servants said unto him, Behold, Haman standeth in the court. And the king said, Let him come in. [6] So Haman came in. And the king said unto him, What shall be done unto the man whom the king delighteth to honour? Now Haman thought in his heart, To whom would the king delight to do honour more than to myself? [7] And Haman answered the king, For the man whom the king delighteth to honour, [8] Let the royal apparel be brought which the king useth to wear, and the horse that the king rideth upon, and the crown royal which is set upon his head: [9] And let this apparel and horse be delivered to the hand of one of the king's most noble princes, that they may array the man withal whom the king delighteth to honour, and bring him on horseback through the street of the city, and proclaim before him, Thus shall it be done to the man whom the king delighteth to honour. [10] Then the king said to Haman, Make haste, and take the apparel and the horse, as thou hast said, and do even so to Mordecai the Jew, that sitteth at the king's gate: let nothing fail of all that thou hast spoken. [11] Then took Haman the apparel and the horse, and arrayed Mordecai, and brought him on horseback through the street of the city, and proclaimed before him, Thus shall it be done unto the man whom the king delighteth to honour. MESSAGE: I prophesy to you today that as you read this, a pleasant book of remembrance will be opened in your favour, in Jesus' Name. According to the Cambridge Dictionary, the word remember means to be able to bring back a piece of information into your mind or to keep a piece of information in your memory. In Genesis 8:1, the Bible says that God remembered Noah. Ordinarily, one cannot imagine that God can be forgetful and not remember the family He put in an ark. Thus, when the Bible said that God remembered Noah, it could only mean that God was now paying attention to Noah's situation. The same thing applied to Rachel in Genesis 30:22-23 where the Bible says: *And God remembered Rachel, and God hearkened to her, and opened her womb. And she conceived, and bare a son; and said, God hath taken away my reproach:* The above scripture reveals another meaning of remembrance: the taking away of reproach by a higher power. When God remembers a barren woman, she conceives and becomes a mother of children, like in the case of Hannah in (1 Samuel 1:1-28). She had been constantly provoked and humiliated by her rival because of her barrenness, and it seemed like her case was hopeless. However, God remembered her and intervened in her situation when she cried out to Him in Shiloh. When she returned to Shiloh, she was carrying her testimony in her hands. In our Bible reading for today, God intervened in the case of Mordecai against his adversary, Haman. Mordecai and his niece, Esther, prayed, and there was a breakthrough. The king was unable to sleep, and he commanded that the record books be read to him. While this was being done, the good deed of Mordecai that had been forgotten was brought to remembrance.

OPEN HEAVENS 2024 DEVOTIONAL DATE: SAT, JAN 13, 2024 TOPIC: IT SHALL BE WELL 5 MEMORISE: “But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” - (Philippians 4:19) READ: 2 Corinthians 9:8-11 (KJV) 8. And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work: 9. (As it is written, He hath dispersed abroad; he hath given to the poor: his righteousness remaineth for ever. 10. Now he that ministereth seed to the sower both minister bread for your food, and multiply your seed sown, and increase the fruits of your righteousness;) 11. Being enriched in every thing to all bountifulness, which causeth through us thanksgiving to God. MESSAGE: Today, I will continue to discuss God's prophetic message to His children through His word in Isaiah 3:10 that says, "Say ye to the righteous, that it shall be well with him: for they shall eat the fruit of their doings." It is God's will that it should be well with you in all areas of your life, and this includes your finances. Unfortunately, many people still live in poverty because they have not surrendered all to God, Who is the only source of true prosperity that has no sorrow in it (Proverbs 10:22). The Bible makes us understand that man became poor as a result of sin: And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life; Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field; In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread... - Genesis 3:17-19. Thankfully, Jesus Christ came to redeem mankind from sin and all its consequences, including poverty. The Bible says that Jesus became poor so that we may, through His poverty, become rich (2 Corinthians 8:9). When a person surrenders his or her life to Jesus Christ, He will redeem that fellow from poverty and make him or her a partaker of the immeasurable riches of the Most High God. My God is Jehovah Jireh (Genesis 22:13-14), meaning He is the Lord that provides. He is also El-Shaddai (Genesis 17:1, 35:11), meaning, He is the Almighty and All-sufficient One. He has immeasurable riches in His treasury. He declared that silver is His and gold belongs to Him (Haggai 2:8). He also said, "For every beast of the forest is mine, and the cattle upon a thousand hills." (Psalm 50:10). God's original intention was for man to partake of and control His immeasurable riches, especially on the earth (Genesis 1:26-30). Beloved, if you are not truly born again, surrender your life to Christ now, and He will become your provider. He will release the access to riches without sorrow to you and will give you the power to get wealth (Deuteronomy 8:18). It shall be well with your finances this year and beyond, in Jesus' name. KEY POINT: Jesus Christ redeems us from all the consequences of sin, including poverty. BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Genesis 42-43 HYMNAL: HYMN 27 - WHAT A FRIEND WE HAVE IN JESUS 1. What a friend we have in Jesus, All our sins and griefs to bear; What a privilege to carry Everything to God in prayer! Oh, what peace we often forfeit, Oh, what needless pain we bear, All because we do not carry Everything to God in prayer. 2. Have we trials and temptations? Is there trouble anywhere? We should never be discouraged, Take it to the Lord in prayer, Can we find a friend so faithful, Who will all our sorrows share? Jesus knows our every weakness, Take it to the Lord in prayer. 3. Are we weak and heavy laden, Cumbered with a load of care? Precious Saviour, still our refuge, Take it to the Lord in prayer, Do your friends despise, forsake you? Take it to the Lord in prayer. In His arms He'll take and shield you, You wilt find a solace there

OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL DATE: THURSDAY JANUARY 11 2024 TOPIC: IT SHALL BE WELL III MEMORISE: And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. John 14:13 READ: JOHN 14:13-14 13 And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it. MESSAGE: Over the past two days, I discussed the need for you to live righteously and make a habit of praising God if you want it to be well with you this new year. Today, I will look at prayer as one more spiritual activity that you must take very seriously in this new year so that it can be well with you. It is obvious that things are getting tougher as we approach the end time. The consolation, however, is the Lord's assurance in Joel 2:32, where He says, "And it shall come pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be delivered..." In the book of Judges, the Bible says that the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord, and consequently, the Midianites terrorised them for seven years (Judges 6:1-2). However, when the children of Israel came to the realisation that it was the Lord that was punishing them because of their sins, they cried to Him in prayers. The Lord answered and delivered them from their troubles just as He will answer you today, in Jesus' name. If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land. 2 Chronicles 7:14 Beloved, for it to be well with you in this new year, you must repair your altar of prayer and be ready to pray earnestly to the Lord. Jesus promised all His followers who believe in Him that if they should ask anything in His name, He will do it (John 14:14). What then are you waiting for? Pray to God now and continue to pray to Him until He causes a complete turnaround in every negative situation you might be experiencing. The Lord is ready to answer the prayers of His children this year if only they can pray. It shall be well with you as you spend quality time praying to God this year, in Jesus' name. PRAYER POINT: Father, let it be well with me this year, in Jesus' name. BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: GENESIS 36-38 AUTHOR: PASTOR E.A. ADEBOYE HYMN 22 SWEET HOUR OF PRAYER 1 Sweet hour of prayer! sweet hour of prayer! that calls me from a world of care, and bids me at my Father's throne make all my wants and wishes known. In seasons of distress and grief, my soul has often found relief, and oft escaped the tempter's snare by thy return, sweet hour of prayer! 2 Sweet hour of prayer! sweet hour of prayer! the joys I feel, the bliss I share of those whose anxious spirits burn with strong desires for thy return! With such I hasten to the place where God my Savior shows his face, and gladly take my station there, and wait for thee, sweet hour of prayer! 3 Sweet hour of prayer! sweet hour of prayer! thy wings shall my petition bear to him whose truth and faithfulness engage the waiting soul to bless. And since he bids me seek his face, believe his word, and trust his grace, I'll cast on him my every care, and wait for thee, sweet hour of prayer!

OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL DATE: MONDAY JANUARY 8 2024 TOPIC: NEW YEAR RESOLUTION VII MEMORISE: Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy. 1 Peter 1:16 READ: EZEKIEL 14:6-8 6 Therefore say unto the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Repent, and turn yourselves from your idols; and turn away your faces from all your abominations. 7 For every one of the house of Israel, or of the stranger that sojourneth in Israel, which separateth himself from me, and setteth up his idols in his heart, and putteth the stumblingblock of his iniquity before his face, and cometh to a prophet to enquire of him concerning me; I the LORD will answer him by myself: 8 And I will set my face against that man, and will make him a sign and a proverb, and I will cut him off from the midst of my people; and ye shall know that I am the LORD. MESSAGE: Over the past six days, we have been studying some resolutions I made for this year, and I have been encouraging all users of this devotional to adopt them as well. I have said that in my walk with God this year, I will worship Him, ask for His help, humble myself, give to Him, trust Him and draw close to Him more than ever before. However, all these would be impossible to achieve if I do not make up my mind to live holy more than ever before. This year, I am determined never to do anything that will offend God. I will live holy more than ever before! Amos 3:3 says: "Can two walk together, except they be agreed?" Please check how you have been living in the past years, do you think God will be happy to come close to you knowing fully well that His eyes cannot behold iniquity (Habakkuk 1:13)? If you really want to get close to God, and you want Him to solve all your problems this year, then you must repent of all your sins and forsake them. Don't continue to live in sin and expect God's help. Shall we continue in sin and expect God's grace to abound? Apostle Paul's response to that question was, "God forbid!" (Romans 6:1-2). Grace is God's help, and it cannot abound upon a sinner. All your seeds, worship, prayers, and so on that you have decided to do this year will be wasted if you do not live a holy life. In other words, if you do not want all your efforts to live by these resolutions this year to be fruitless, you must live holy. God does not hear the prayer of sinners (Psalm 66:18), neither does He accept their sacrifices (Isaiah 59:1-2). Beloved, for all the resolutions we studied over the past six days to produce the desired result, you must be deliberate about living holy more than ever before this year and beyond. This year, I will not only love righteousness more, but will also hate iniquity more. That way, God will anoint me even much more than ever before (Hebrews 1:9). The Almighty God will grant you all-round success as you make up your mind to live holy and also adopt all the other resolutions we discussed over the past six days, in Jesus' name. ACTION POINT: Determine to live holy more than ever before this year. BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: GENESIS 26-28 AUTHOR: PASTOR E.A. ADEBOYE HYMN 23 TAKE MY LIFE AND LET IT BE 1 Take my life and let it be consecrated, Lord, to thee. Take my moments and my days; Let them flow in endless praise, Let them flow in endless praise. 2 Take my hands and let them move At the impulse of thy love. Take my feet and let them be Swift and beautiful for thee, Swift and beautiful for thee. 3 Take my voice and let me sing Always, only, for my King. Take my lips and let them be Filled with messages from thee, Filled with messages from thee. 4 Take my silver and my gold; Not a mite would I withhold. Take my intellect and use Every power as thou shalt choose, Every power as thou shalt choose. 5 Take my will and make it thine; It shall be no longer mine. Take my heart it is thine own; IT shall be thy royal throne, It shall be thy royal throne. 6 Take my love; my Lord, I pour At thy feet its treasure store. Take myself, and I will be Ever, only, all for thee, Ever, only, all for thee.