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Open Heavens August 8th, by Pastor E. A Adeboye.

Topic: Favour Brings Divine Focus [Saturday August 8, 2015]

Memorise: And as Jesus passed by he saw a man which was blind from his birth. – John 9:1

Read: John 9:1-7

1 And as Jesus passed by, he saw a man which was blind from his birth.

2 And his disciples asked him, saying, Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind?

3 Jesus answered, Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him.

4 I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work.

5 As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.

6 When he had thus spoken, he spat on the ground, and made clay of the spittle, and he anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay,

7 And said unto him, Go, wash in the pool of Siloam, (which is by interpretation, Sent.) He went his way therefore, and washed, and came seeing.

Bible In One Year: Genesis 1-2; John 10:22-42

MESSAGE:

John 9:1 talks about a man who was born blind. He had been blind for over 40 years, but when his day of favour came, Jesus saw him. This was not an accidental glance; rather, God directed the attention He gives to the whole universe to this blind man. The favour of God brought this blind man under divine focus. Through this same favour, Esther also came under special focus (Esther 5:1-8). King Ahasuerus did not just see Esther; he focused his attention on her. This was not ordinary king; he was a very busy king overseeing 120 nations. As busy as he was, when he looked at Esther, it was not just a passing glance but a life-changing glance of favour.

Similarly, in John 5:2-6, in the midst of a multitude of sick but expectant folks, there was a man who had been there for 38 years without help. Jesus saw him and singled him out of the crowd. Among all the multitude of people having your particular type of problem, favour will locate you today and you will be singled out for a miracle in Jesus’ Name. There was a particular man who had two PhDs but still could not get a job for more than six years. By the time he was brought for prayers, he looked like a mad man. He looked like someone who never stepped into a school, because he had gone through a lot. We introduced him to Jesus and he willingly accepted Him into his life. Not long after, the people in his local government, who had been looking for someone to employ, suddenly took interest in him. What several application letters could not do became settled when God focused his attention on him, and his long pressing need was met. For so long it might appear you have been going unnoticed. You have called out to God, fasted, praised and worshipped Him sincerely from your heart, but it appears as if God has either turned a deaf ear or your prayers have never passed the ceiling of your house.

You are becoming discouraged as a result of this, and you are wondering if your prayer efforts are of any use. Do not be discouraged! God is not only looking towards your direction right now, He is also paying proper attention to you. Your situation is about to turn around for good. Hold on to the Lord in faith. Give Him more thanks, praise, worship and adoration. Wait on God until your change comes!

“If a man die, shall he live again? all the days on my appointed time will I wait, till my change come.” –Job 14:14

Action Point: Ask God to remember all innocent people who are unjustly awaiting trial in prisons. Ask Him to grant them favour and set them free.

Open Heavens 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.  

Pray Perfect Prayers In The Spirit Aug 07, 2015 By Joseph Prince

Wouldn’t you like to pray effective prayers that are always in line with the will of God and which always hit the mark? Well, when you pray in the Spirit, you can.

You see, when we pray in English or our known language, and according to our limited understanding, we can pray amiss. Sometimes, our heads get in the way and we find ourselves asking, “Isn’t it selfish of me to pray like this?” or “Am I praying in line with God’s will?”

My friend, that is why God gives us the gift of praying in tongues. When we pray in tongues or in the Holy Spirit, we can never pray out of God’s will because the Holy Spirit “makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God”.

In other words, we pray perfect prayers in line with God’s will when we pray in tongues. And the Bible goes on to tell us that “if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him”. (1 John 5:14–15)

Isn’t it wonderful that God has put in you the Holy Spirit who prays perfectly? He knows the heart of God and precisely what you need. And He makes intercession for you because He loves you very much.

The Holy Spirit is like your lawyer or legal counselor. He knows what belongs to you legally. He knows what your blood-bought rights are in Christ. Best of all, He knows exactly how to enforce them in your life!

Beloved, when you pray in tongues, you allow the Holy Spirit to pray perfect prayers through you. He pleads your case before God. He knows where you have gone wrong and what the root of the problem is. He also has the wisdom, solution and power to win your case. With the Holy Spirit on your side, you cannot but come out victorious!

Thought For The Day

We pray perfect prayers in line with God’s will when we pray in tongues.

Daily Manna By Pastor W.F kumuyi.

TOPIC: Path To Divine Destiny

Friday, August 07, 2015
TEXT: 1 SAMUEL 16:14-23
KEY VERSE: “Wherefore Saul sent messengers unto Jesse, and said, Send me David thy son, which is with the sheep” (1 Samuel 16:19).
Being on God’s side entails a life of righteousness; and His Word states that “The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD.” If your steps are ordered by the Lord, you are guaranteed a delightful destiny.
David was tucked away in a Bethlehem pasture land, tending sheep when God spotted him as replacement for King Saul. Even when God sent Prophet Samuel to Jesse’s house to anoint the chosen one, Jesse fielded all his sons except David, the youngest. At Samuel’s insistence, the young lad was fetched from the field and got anointed. At that time, God’s Spirit departed from Saul and he was troubled with an evil spirit. He accepted the recommendation of his servants to have a skillful musician to administer musical therapy whenever he got emotionally unstable. They recommended David because he was proficient, plucky, prudent and pious. The most important of these was that “the LORD is with him.”
By that arrangement, God brought David from pasture land to the palace – to get used to palace life and governance. Similarly, Joseph trod the tortuous path of hatred by his brethren, household servant and eventually prisoner in Egypt before God made him a prime minister in the then most powerful nation. Moses was a hopeless fugitive, rusting in the backwoods of Midian when God called him to go and deliver Israel. Gideon, the least in a poor family, was timidly threshing wheat in the valley when God picked him to save Israel from the Midianites.
All these people and others were godly and had their paths charted by God Himself. If you are truly on God’s side, you do not need to secure good ranking by struggle, eye-service, craftiness or other carnal means. Do your work and wait on Him, He will order your steps to a delightful destiny.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: JOHN 16 – 18
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: If you desire to get to where God is leading you, go at His pace.

Open Heaven By Pastor E.A Adeboye…HELP FROM SUBORDINATES – Friday August 7th 2015

HELP FROM SUBORDINATES 
Memorise: And strangers shall stand and feed your flocks, and the sons of the alien shall be your plowmen and your vinedressers. Isaiah 61:5
Read: 2nd Kings 5:1-4, 10-14; Bible in one year: Esther 8-10, John 9:35-10:21
God had His agenda already set out before the foundation of the world. When the right time comes for Him to unfold a specific plan in His agenda, He looks out for those He can use to achieve His purpose. For example, when the time came for God to accomplish an earlier plan to turn a Syrian army general into a worshipper of Jehovah, God sought the vessel to use, and He found a young captive girl who was serving as a maid in the house of Naaman. She cooperated with God and told Naaman’s wife of a highly anointed prophet of God in Israel who could cure the incurable leprosy that was a blemish upon Naaman’s life.
Some other vessels that God used in achieving His purpose concerning Naaman were Naaman’s personal assistants. When they arrived at the front of Elisha’s house, Elisha simply sent his servant to tell Naaman to go and dip seven times in River Jordan and he would be healed. Naaman took offence that the prophet could not even honour him by coming out to talk personally to him. How could the prophet send a servant to him? Besides, he did not like River Jordan at all. Why did the prophet not choose any of the prestigious rivers around? He was angry, and he decided to leave. Had it not been that some of his servants decided to talk frankly with him, making him see the folly of his decision to return home empty-handed, he would have become a victim of his anger. He listened to them, went and dipped in the river and came out whole. When he returned to the prophet, he offered him a gift which he refused. He then requested to carry some of the soil from Israelto his native land to raise an altar to Jehovah there, and he promised to serve the Almighty God going forward. God can use you. Are you a housemaid or a houseboy? God can use anyone. Are you a servant? God can use you. God also use Prophet Elisha. Are you a servant of God? God can use you. One lesson from the maid and the servant is that if you can deal with the problems of fear and intimidation, you can be used by God to help your superiors. Never look down on yourself. Do not say that because you are uneducated, you cannot speak to the educated about Jesus. Use the Pidgin English or vernacular you know to pass across the message of the love of Jesus to others. The help that will move some superiors to their next level lies in the hands of their subordinates. You can be used to assist your superiors. The greatest assistance you can give to those above you is to link them up with Jesus.
Prayer Point
Father, let my ears be open to Your voice coming through my subordinates.

Called To Serve? ~ Pastor Faith Oyedepo

hqdefault3Topic: Called To Serve? [Wednesday August 5, 2015]
“And the Lord looked upon him, and said, Go in this thy might, and thou shalt save Israel from the hand of the Midianites: have not I sent thee?” –Judges 6:14
In every well structured establishment, a letter of appointment is given to every staff before commencement of work. That letter states what is expected of you within your new position and the benefits attached. Without this, anyone who claims to be a staff and goes to that organisation daily would be working voluntarily, because he or she is not entitled to a salary.
Also, in ministry, you have to be called with a clear definition of what your duties are, usually via a mandate or vision. Without a clear description from God, you are running your own call and not God’s. More so, when you study Scriptures, you realise that God is usually specific in His callings because for every call, rewards of obedience are attached.
A call to preach is an enlistment into God’s army. However, it is God’s sole duty to call you; you cannot call yourself on His behalf. God also does not need any years of experience, academic qualification or social status of the called before He makes the call. All God requires is your love for Him and a committed heart for Kingdom service.
Also understand that God will not call you into ministry through someone else. He has access to all His children and would speak to you directly. You can only get a confirmation from anointed vessels, but the first call of duty will come directly to you. So, don’t go about looking for a word from a pastor or prophet, and don’t call yourself for the sake of a title but using His name. God who appoints will speak to you directly when He needs you for ministry.
Remain Blessed!
Pastor Faith Abiola Oyedepo is the wife ofBishop David Oyedepo, the founder of the Living Faith Church Worldwide a.k.a. Winners’ Chapel, and Senior Pastor of Faith Tabernacle, Canaanland, Ota, Nigeria.

Your Enemy Must Give Way By Pastor Bode Maxwell (living faith church)

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The Great Provider ~ Pastor William Kumuyi

Pastor-Kumuyi-Bans-The-Use-of-Android-Devices5Topic: The Great Provider [Sunday August 2, 2015]

Text: Numbers 11:16-23

Key Verse: “And Moses said, The people, among whom I am, are six hundred thousand footmen… Shall the flocks and the herds be slain for them, to suffice them? or shall all the fish of the sea be gathered together for them, to suffice them?”(Numbers 11:21,22).

The story of Hagar and her son is most instructive and evergreen. Thinking that every hope was lost, after she was sent away from Abraham’s house with her son, she wondered aimlessly in the wilderness of Beersheba expecting to die of thirst. But the Lord saw her distress and heard the cry of the child; “And God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water; and she went, and filled the bottle with water, and gave the lad drink” (Genesis 21:19). God provides many things seemingly out of nothing.

In today’s text, Moses had by this time, seen much of God’s power. The miracles in Egypt were spectacularly beyond human understanding. Now freed from Egyptian bondage, they were worried about flesh to eat. They failed to learn from the consequences of their earlier complaints (verse 1). Even Moses forgot God’s power and all the miracles in a moment of frustration and undue pressure.

Many people doubt God when they are faced with severe challenges. They forget victories already won through divine intervention, their level of spiritual maturity notwithstanding. Our victory is assured if only we can completely depend on God at all times. We must avoid the temptation of leaning on our understanding. God knows all our trials and needs. He lessened the burden of leadership on Moses through the assistance of seventy elders. He knows the burdens you are called to bear in His vineyard and will support you all the way. “Lo, I am with you alway,” He says.

Are the challenges of life and ministry becoming heavier than you had hoped? Don’t give up. He who has called you is well able to provide all your needs as you faithfully serve Him. Soon, it will be over and we all will enter into His rest.

Bible In One Year: John 4-5

Thought For The Day: The night is darkest when the dawn is near.

DCLM Daily Manna was written by Pastor William Folorunso Kumuyi; is the founder and General Superintendent of the Deeper Life Bible Church situated at KM 42 on the busy Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, Nigeria.

Open Heaven Today ‘ Response To Discouragement’ by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Topic: Response To Discouragement [Thursday July 30, 2015]

Memorise: Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest. – Joshua 1:9

Read: 1 Samuel 30:3-8 (KJV)

3 So David and his men came to the city, and, behold, it was burned with fire; and their wives, and their sons, and their daughters, were taken captives.

4 Then David and the people that were with him lifted up their voice and wept, until they had no more power to weep.

5 And David’s two wives were taken captives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the wife of Nabal the Carmelite.

6 And David was greatly distressed; for the people spake of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters: but David encouraged himself in the LORD his God.

7 And David said to Abiathar the priest, Ahimelech’s son, I pray thee, bring me hither the ephod. And Abiathar brought thither the ephod to David.

8 And David enquired at the LORD, saying, Shall I pursue after this troop? shall I overtake them? And he answered him, Pursue: for thou shalt surely overtake them, and without fail recover all.

Bible In One Year: Nehemiah 1-3; John 6:52-71

MESSAGE:

David’s response to the distress he was confronted with, after his family and those of his men were taken captive, should serve as an example of what our response should be in the face of discouragement. The Bible in 1 Samuel 30:8 says:

“And David enquired at the LORD, saying, Shall I pursue after this troop? shall I overtake them? And he answered him, Pursue: for thou shalt surely overtake them, and without fail recover all.”

Whenever you experience a loss, you need to go back to God to find out if it is possible to recover what was lost, and how such recovery would be achieved. Do not take it for granted that every loss must be recovered. Sometimes, when the Lord calls home a loved one who is very ill and going through excruciating pain, there might be no need for Him to return such a fellow back to life, except of course if He wants to heal such a fellow. Also, if a blessing is already becoming a curse or something else, it may be preferable for such a blessing to go for the greater good. Have you taken time to ask God about His will concerning your losses? Have you also asked how such losses can be recovered?

We can see from today’s Bible reading that people respond to discouragement in different ways. Some people do not mind going to any extreme when they are discouraged. At the point of discouragement, David’s men suddenly blamed the same leader who had been protecting them. They began to see their helper as the source of their loss. They began to speak against him and even planned to stone him to death! This shows the destructive power of discouragement. How do you handle situations when you are discouraged? Do you turn your helpers into enemies? There are some believers including ministers, who at the height of discouragement deliberately step out of righteousness and return temporarily to the sinful lifestyle they abandoned several years ago. This type of response is wrong. When faced with discouragement, encourage yourself in the Lord. Study God’s word to receive a word of encouragement and direction. Pray to God, praise and thank Him for all past blessings and worship Him. Doing these may be difficult, but ask for grace to do so. Seek counselling from godly people. Also, ask yourself: what does Satan want me to do in this situation? Ensure you don’t act according to his expectation.

Key Point: Discouragement is an arrow that must be returned to its source with haste.

Open Heavens 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.

DCLM Daily Manna by Pastor William Folorunso Kumu

Topic: Answer To Rebellion [Thursday July 30, 2015]

Text: Revelation 16:13-21

Key Verse: “And the seventh angel poured out his vial into the air; and there came a great voice out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, It is done” (Revelation 16:17).

Our Lord Jesus Christ brings the end of the wicked age closer home in Matthew 24:21: “For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.”

Our reading today unfolds the divine judgment on the infernal trio of Satan, the Antichrist and the false prophet, along with their followers. Unclean spirits like frogs (verse 13) will have a field day during the Great Tribulation to perform fake miracles in order to deceive the leaders and people of the demonised world system.

The Church of Christ that served as a restraint to the unleashing of these forces has been raptured and so there is an unparalleled madness all over the world. Man and his satanic backers attempt the unthinkable: waging war against the almighty God! Nature is averse to this monstrous rebellion against its Creator and shows its anger through thunder and lightings and earthquakes, resulting in Islands and mountains disappearing. Babylon, symbolizing the corrupt world system that comes into power after the rapture is judged by being given “the cup of the wine of the fierceness of His wrath.”

Those who reject Christ are also rebelling against God, and judgment will fall on them if they fail to repent. It is gratifying that believers will not partake in the horror and scourge of the Great Tribulation; only careless souls will.

Bible In One Year: Ephesians 4-6

Thought For The Day: Rebellion against God attracts divine rejection.

DCLM Daily Manna was written by Pastor William Folorunso Kumuyi; is the founder and General Superintendent of the Deeper Life Bible Church situated at KM 42 on the busy Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, Nigeria.

Treasures Of the Heart ~by Pastor Faith Oyedepo

hqdefault3Topic: Treasures Of the Heart [Friday July 31, 2015]
“But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price.”-1 Peter 3:4
No matter how large or spherical an egg shell may appear, its true quality is from within. It takes your accessing the inner content of that egg to know how fresh it is. In truth, beauty stems from within and then radiates without. One of the perimeters to measure your inner beauty therefore, is how meek and quiet your spirit is.



To be meek means you are teachable; possessing an attitude of amenability and absolute dependency on God, rather than self. A meek person would also present him/herself as an empty vessel before God, requiring grace to be refilled.
Meekness is primarily of the heart, not of the face. It has nothing to do with the way you dress or speak, as even a poor person can be proud. A meek heart would always be priceless before God. It is your guarantee to being used and taught by Him. However, meekness doesn’t come easy. It takes your allowing God, through the help of the Holy Spirit, to teach your heart to be meek.
You must desire this attribute, if you truly want to be beautiful. Understand that your character either beautifies or takes away from your beauty; your physical presence notwithstanding. Meekness makes you look younger and more beautiful. Therefore, in all your getting, choose meekness. You will not know shame in the mighty name of Jesus Christ!
Remain Blessed!

Pastor Faith Abiola Oyedepo is the wife ofBishop David Oyedepo, the founder of the Living Faith Church Worldwide a.k.a. Winners’ Chapel, and Senior Pastor of Faith Tabernacle, Canaanland, Ota, Nigeria