DEVOTIONALS

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BLESSINGS FROM ABOVE – Monday August 1st 2016

  1. Open Heavens 1 August Monday.
  2. daily devotional by Pastor E.A. Adeboye – Blessing from above
Memorise: Israel then shall dwell in safety alone: the fountain of Jacob shall be upon a land of corn And wine; also his heaven shall drop down dew. Deuteronomy 33:28
Read: Deuteronomy 33:27-29, (KJV)
33:27 The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms: and he shall thrust out the enemy from before thee; and shall say, Destroy them.
33:28 Israel then shall dwell in safety alone: the fountain of Jacob shall be upon a land of corn and wine; also his heavens shall drop down dew.
33:29 Happy art thou, O Israel: who is like unto thee, O people saved by the Lord, the shield of thy help, and who is the sword of thy excellency! and thine enemies shall be found liars unto thee; and thou shalt tread upon their high places.

 

Bible in one year: Hebrews 5:10-8:13, Psalms 24
MESSAGE
There are different kinds of blessings, but there is a kind of blessing that comes from God alone. This is the blessing that has no boundary. It is from above where God sits to coordinate the affairs of His people. Today, the blessing of God will locate you wherever you are in Jesus’ name. If you must prosper the way God desires, you cannot afford to ignore the presence of God.
Those who have succeeded exceedingly in life are those whose source of blessing is God. When the presence of God is with you, He causes whatever you lay your hands upon to prosper. With little effort, you enjoy great favour and you become a channel of blessings to others around you.
If you study the biblical men of faith; Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, you will notice that God was not only interested in giving  them blessings that will be sufficient for them alone, He was interested in blessing them to a point that they become channels of blessings to others. Do you know God can bless you so much that your driver becomes a millionaire just from driving you? He told Abraham.
“And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shall be a blessing”
Genesis 12:2

The blessing that came from above into the life of Abraham made a great nation out of him. That blessing gave him such a great name that there was no nation where his name was not known.  The name attracted so many blessings to his life that he became a great possessor of vast expanses of land and today, his seed are all over the world. God can make you a man or woman of great wealth and power. No matter how dry your ground may be at the moment; He can raise greatness out of it and make your little one become a thousand. The outpouring of God’s blessing upon your life can move you beyond the point of daily provision and mere survival, to the point in which you become the talk of nations because of how frightening your blessings have become. Peter who toiled all night and caught nothing became the talk of the town when he experienced a net-breaking blessing. I have always said that a day is coming and that season is here for a reader of this devotional, that when you take your money to the bank, the bank manager will order that the branch be shut down for three days to other customers just because they are attending to you.
For you to achieve this level of blessing, you need to understand that it will not come easy, but you need not be discouraged because God is ever faithful and He knows the path to take you through to get there. God is the fountain of all honour and it is from Him that promotion comes. What you are going through at the moment may not show that you are a candidate for this kind of blessing but you need to know that the plan and purpose of God for your life cannot be denied. Your faith and obedience will be tried. You need to be separated and set aside for God alone.
Those who forsake their sins and turn to God will get blessings that they never bargained for. You have to take your mind off the mundane things of this world and step up into the higher ground of what God is prepared to do with your life.
Key Point
Until there is a departure from the little things, there will be no discovery of greater things.
Open Heavens Daily Devotional, written by Pastor E.A Adeboye

 

Devotional by Creflo Dollar

Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go” (Joshua 1:9, NKJV).
We’ve all had times in our lives when we’ve felt trapped, discouraged, or defeated by the circumstances. Even in the scariest and loneliest of times when we feel all alone, God promises us He will never leave us. When God is with us, victory is guaranteed.

Kingdom Living by Joyce Meyer – posted July 31, 2016

[After all] the kingdom of God is not a matter of [getting the] food and drink [one likes], but instead it is righteousness (that state which makes a person acceptable to God) and [heart] peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.
—Romans 14:17

God’s kingdom is made up of things far greater and more beneficial than worldly possessions. God does bless us with material possessions, but the kingdom is much more than that: It is righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit.

Righteousness is not the result of what we do, but rather what Jesus has done for us (see 1 Corinthians 1:30). He takes our sin and gives us His righteousness (see 2 Corinthians 5:21). When we accept this truth by faith and receive it personally, we are free to live and enjoy the life Jesus died to give us.

Peace is so wonderful—it is definitely kingdom living. This is why we pursue peace, crave it, and go after it (see Psalm 34:14; 1 Peter 3:11). The closer we get to God, the more we understand that Jesus is our peace (see Ephesians 2:14). God’s will for you and me is to enjoy His peace that goes beyond understanding (see Philippians 4:7).

Joy can be anything from calm delight to extreme hilarity. Joy improves our countenance, our health, and the quality of our lives. It strengthens our witness to others and gives us a godly perspective on life (see Nehemiah 8:10).

It is clear in the Word of God: Seek God and His kingdom, and He will take care of everything else (see Matthew 6:33).

There is no better life than life in the kingdom of God.

HAVE YOU TAKEN YOUR LOVE BREAK TODAY?

31
Jul
John 15:9
“As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love.
In your workplace, you probably take coffee breaks, lunch breaks, tea breaks and definitely toilet breaks. Why not do the same in your spiritual life—take time out for breaks, especially love breaks?

What is a love break? It is the time you take to enjoy and feed on the love of Jesus for you. At any time during the day, wherever you are, find a quiet spot and feed on the love of Jesus. Just sit down and talk to Him. Say to Him, “Thank You, Jesus, for loving me. Nothing is going to happen to me that You don’t already know about. Jesus, when I could not save myself, You died for me. You gave up Your life for me. What else will You not do for me!”

Such love breaks are typified in the Old Testament by Aaron the high priest and his sons eating the breast of the animal sacrificed. (Leviticus 7:31) The breast of the animal speaks of the love of Jesus. Today, you are a priest to God. (Revelation 1:6) So spend time feeding on the love of Jesus for you, and see yourself nourished, strengthened and sustained by His love. Jesus is our High Priest today. This means that His food is in loving us. He enjoys loving us and is also “nourished” by His love for us.

But do not forget that the breast was roasted by fire (Leviticus 7:35), which speaks of God’s judgment on Jesus as He hung on the cross because He was carrying our sins. So as you feed on Jesus’ love for you, see Him loving you at the cross. When things around you are not going well, do not allow the devil to say to you, “If God loves you, how come these things are happening to you?” My friend, interpret God’s love for you based on the cross, not on your present circumstances.

During the day, when you are hard at work, when busyness sets in, when problems pile up or when discouragement comes, just stop everything and take a love break with Jesus! Let Jesus love you. Let yourself enjoy being loved by Him. Lean on His bosom, abide in His love and be nourished by His love for you!

Thought For The Day
Be nourished by God’s love for you today!

HOW TO SECURE YOUR SEAT IN LIFE Today: 2016-07-31

Sitting around your work is what creates a seat for you among men.

Never seek after what to be, rather pursue after what to do.

It is what you do that determines what you will be.

Do not envy any man’s seat. Rather covet their works.

The approach to your seat is very clear:

Simply work the way others do and you’ll end on their kind of seat.

Your seat is vacant awaiting your arrival!

Don’t Serve the Problem Kenneth Copeland

Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him.

Isaiah 55:7

You can’t win a victory as long as the problem is the biggest thing in your life!

The Lord woke me up to that fact a few years ago. At that time I was facing some difficulties in my ministry that seemed so big to me, I thought about them from morning till night. Even though I was standing against them, I was thinking more about those problems than about the scripture promises I was standing on.

Then I saw something in Matthew 6:24-25: “Ye cannot serve God and mammon. Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life….”

I’d read that scripture hundreds of times, but that day I saw something I’d never noticed before. I saw that immediately after Jesus said, “No man can serve two masters,” He said, “Take no thought.” Suddenly it hit me: We serve our thoughts!

That’s why Isaiah 55 says for us to forsake our thoughts, and by the Word, take God’s thoughts. That’s why 2 Corinthians 10:5 says to cast down thoughts that challenge the Word and bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.

Do you want deliverance from your problems today?

Then quit serving them! Quit allowing them to consume your thought life. And don’t wait until circumstances change to do it. Instead, realize that circumstances won’t ever change until you switch from wrong to right thinking.

I know that’s not easy to do, especially in the midst of heavy darkness and trial. But you can do it if you’ll do these three things:

First, remember you aren’t alone. You have the Word (God’s thoughts). You have the Holy Spirit to strengthen you and you have the mind of Christ.

Second, get around people who are full of faith. Instead of rehearsing your problem, let them do the talking. Make yourself listen. Join in with their faith and resist darkness.

Third, praise God. Do whatever it takes to make yourself praise. When you begin to praise, God’s presence will turn back those worried thoughts and make them fall!

Your problems are not the biggest thing in your life. Jesus is. Serve Him with your thoughts and He will set you free!

DIVINE BACKING – Sunday July 31st 2016

DIVINE BACKING – Sunday July 31st 2016
DIVINE BACKING

Open Heavens 31 July 2016: Saturday daily devotional by Pastor E.A. Adeboye – divine backing
Memorise: There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life: as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee. Joshua 1:5

Read: Joshua 1:1-7, (KJV)
1 Now after the death of Moses the servant of the Lord it came to pass, that the Lord spake unto Joshua the son of Nun, Moses’ minister, saying,
2 Moses my servant is dead; now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, thou, and all this people, unto the land which I do give to them, even to the children of Israel.
3 Every place that the sole of your foot shall tread upon, that have I given unto you, as I said unto Moses.

4 From the wilderness and this Lebanon even unto the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and unto the great sea toward the going down of the sun, shall be your coast.
5 There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life: as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.
6 Be strong and of a good courage: for unto this people shalt thou divide for an inheritance the land, which I sware unto their fathers to give them.
7 Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper withersoever thou goest.
Bible in one year: Hebrews 1:1-5:9, Psalms 23
MESSAGE
Divine backing is the support you receive supernaturally from the Almighty God. Without divine backing, hardly can any man succeed in life. This is because demonic activities in the world are out to frustrate mankind. The Bible says:
“Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhibiters of the earth and of the sea! For the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.”
Revelation 12:12
In the memory verse for today, God encouraged Joshua to take up the spiritual mandate of leading His people to the Promised Land. Joshua was assured of divine backing when the Lord said:
“There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life: as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee; I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.
Joshua 1:5
God repeatedly encouraged Joshua to be courageous. No wonder he did great exploits in the Name of the Lord. When David faced Goliath, it was divine backing that saw him through the fight against the experienced giant. In response to the giant’s curses, David said:
“This day will the Lord deliver thee into mine hand; and I will smite thee, and take thine head from thee; and I will give the carcases of the host of the Philistines this day unto the fowls of the air, and to the wild beasts of the earth; that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel.”

1st Samuel 17:46
David, prior to this time had been enjoying divine backing. It was this divine backing that enabled him to kill a lion and a bear that wanted to steal his father’s livestock. Beloved, you too will enjoy divine backing if you surrender your life to Jesus Christ today. Even as a believer, for you to enjoy divine backing, particularly in the ministry, you need to be broken and live in obedience of the Word of God. Jesus said:
“Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.”
John 15:16
Jesus chose you to win souls to His Kingdom and He promised to back you up by providing everything you request for. May the Lord give you supernatural support and the backing you need to succeed in Jesus’ name. (31 July 2016 open heavens)
Prayer Point
Father, please support me in all I do in Jesus’ name.
Open Heavens Daily Devotional, written by Pastor E.A Adeboye

Devotional by Creflo Dollar

“You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:14-16, NKJV).
Jesus does some of His best work through us. By sharing His love, we let God use us as a vessel to spread His light in the world and be a blessing to others. In this way, we can influence the lives of others and give a powerful testimony to Him.

Make Time with God a Priority by Joyce Meyer – posted July 28, 2016

Make Time with God a Priority

by Joyce Meyer – posted July 28, 2016

Then Jesus, knowing that they meant to come and seize Him that they might make Him king, withdrew again to the hillside by Himself alone.
—John 6:15

If the devil can’t convince you to be idle and passive, he will drive you to do too much. As soon as you are out of balance, he can devour you (see 1 Peter 5:8). The word disciple comes from the word discipline. To be a disciple of Jesus, you must discipline yourself to follow His ways.

Jesus spent a great deal of time going about doing good for people, but He balanced His time by getting alone to pray and commune with the Father. Time with God renews your strength to do good things that you want to do for others. Live a balanced life by spending time with Him.

Get God’s Word For It

28
Jul

Matthew 4:4

…He [Jesus] answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’”

When the devil tempted Jesus, Jesus turned the Word of God on him, saying, “It is written…It is written…It is written…” (Matthew 4:4, 7, 10)

Likewise, should the devil remind you of the pain in your body, say what God’s Word says: “It is written, ‘By His stripes I am healed!’” (Isaiah 53:5; 1 Peter 2:24) And tell Daddy God, “I have Your Word for it and I am standing on Your Word. I am not trying to be healed. My healing has already happened. I don’t care what this body says. It has to line up with Your Word because by Jesus’ stripes I am healed!”

And if the devil says to you, “Look at the meager balance in your bank account. How are you going to pay your bills?” just say, “I’m not going to worry because I know that my God shall supply all my needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.’ (Philippians 4:19) It doesn’t matter how much I have in the bank. God’s Word tells me that as the need arises, the supply will be there!”

When fear grips you, don’t say to yourself, “This fear is stupid. Come on, what are the chances of it happening to me?” Don’t try to rationalize or reason your fear away. Instead, speak God’s Word into the situation. Say, “It is written, ‘For God has not given me a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.’” (2 Timothy 1:7) What if the fear returns? Speak God’s Word again. Say, “It is written, ‘For God has not given me a spirit of fear…’”

When the devil tries to deceive you, give him the Word of God. There is something about the Word of God that causes him not to want to hang around those who use it. It reminds him of Jesus, the Word made flesh (John 1:14), who rendered him powerless and of no effect when He said, “It is written…”

Thought For The Day

Turn the Word of God on the devil when he comes to tempt you. You will render him of no effect!