The Open Heaven 16 November 2025 devotional for today is THE SEED MAKES THE TREE.
This is a daily devotion written by Pastor E. A. Adeboye, General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG).
OPEN HEAVEN 16 NOVEMBER 2025 TODAY DEVOTIONAL
TOPIC: THE SEED MAKES THE TREE
MEMORISE:
Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.
Proverbs 22:6
READ: Judges 13:1-14:
1 And the children of Israel did evil again in the sight of the Lord; and the Lord delivered them into the hand of the Philistines forty years.
2 And there was a certain man of Zorah, of the family of the Danites, whose name was Manoah; and his wife was barren, and bare not.
3 And the angel of the Lord appeared unto the woman, and said unto her, Behold now, thou art barren, and bearest not: but thou shalt conceive, and bear a son.
4 Now therefore beware, I pray thee, and drink not wine nor strong drink, and eat not any unclean thing:
5 For, lo, thou shalt conceive, and bear a son; and no razor shall come on his head: for the child shall be a Nazarite unto God from the womb: and he shall begin to deliver Israel out of the hand of the Philistines.
6 Then the woman came and told her husband, saying, A man of God came unto me, and his countenance was like the countenance of an angel of God, very terrible: but I asked him not whence he was, neither told he me his name:
7 But he said unto me, Behold, thou shalt conceive, and bear a son; and now drink no wine nor strong drink, neither eat any unclean thing: for the child shall be a Nazarite to God from the womb to the day of his death.
8 Then Manoah intreated the Lord, and said, O my Lord, let the man of God which thou didst send come again unto us, and teach us what we shall do unto the child that shall be born.
9 And God hearkened to the voice of Manoah; and the angel of God came again unto the woman as she sat in the field: but Manoah her husband was not with her.
10 And the woman made haste, and ran, and shewed her husband, and said unto him, Behold, the man hath appeared unto me, that came unto me the other day.
11 And Manoah arose, and went after his wife, and came to the man, and said unto him, Art thou the man that spakest unto the woman? And he said, I am.
12 And Manoah said, Now let thy words come to pass. How shall we order the child, and how shall we do unto him?
13 And the angel of the Lord said unto Manoah, Of all that I said unto the woman let her beware.
14 She may not eat of any thing that cometh of the vine, neither let her drink wine or strong drink, nor eat any unclean thing: all that I commanded her let her observe.
RCCG OPEN HEAVEN 16 NOVEMBER 2025 TODAY MESSAGE
My father, who was a farmer, would always separate the best fruits after a harvest so he could plant their seeds in the next planting season. This is because the quality of the seeds a farmer plants is a major determinant of the quality of his or her harvest.
A seed may seem small and insignificant, but it decides the kind of fruit a tree will produce. In the same vein, a child may seem small and unimportant in the scheme of things at the moment, but the kind of adult the child becomes will shape the future of the family’s lineage. Therefore, how parents raise their children matters much more than the material things they give them.
In today’s Bible reading, an angel appeared to Manoah’s wife and told her she would give birth to a son. Her husband was not with her at the time; however, when he heard what the angel told his wife, he prayed that God would give him his own encounter. God answered his prayer, and when he saw the angel himself, he asked an important question:
And Manoah said, Now let thy words come to pass. How shall we order the child, and how shall we do unto him? Judges 13:12
Manoah was a very wise father who wanted to know how to order and direct the child that
God was about to bless them with so that everything God had said concerning the child would come to pass. Every parent must ask God for direction if they want to raise their children in the way they should go (Proverbs 22:6). Some parents train their children the same way they were trained and complain that the children are not responding to their training. There is a way to ‘order’ every child, but parents cannot find it without getting acquainted with the One who made the child.
Farmers know that some soils are best for some seeds, but if you take that same seed to another type of soil, it will either not bear fruits or grow at all. For instance, a plant like the cactus can thrive in the desert, but if you plant a water lily in the desert, it will dry up.
God knows the best way to train a child in the way he or she should go. If you are a parent, ask God for the manual on how to train your children so you won’t raise them in a way that is contrary to how He made them.
KEY POINT
Only God knows the way to order and raise every child.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR
Acts 12-13
HYMN 33: GUIDE ME, O THOU GREAT JEHOVAH!
OPEN HEAVEN DEVOTIONAL 16 NOVEMBER 2025 COMMENTARY
MEMORISE: Proverbs 22:6 (KJV)
“Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.”
This foundational scripture reveals that parenting is not a passive process but an intentional act of “training.” The phrase “in the way he should go” implies a unique, God-given path for each child, requiring discernment from parents to identify and nurture it.
BIBLE READING: Judges 13:1-14
This passage provides a powerful biblical model for expectant and new parents:
- v. 1-5: God initiates the promise of a child (Samson) with a specific destiny (to begin delivering Israel) and gives initial, specific instructions for his Nazirite consecration.
- v. 6-8: The wife relays the message to Manoah, who immediately prays for his own encounter and guidance. This shows the father’s active engagement from the very beginning.
- v. 9-14: God answers Manoah’s prayer. His central question in verse 12 is the climax: “How shall we order the child, and how shall we do unto him?”
The Divine Manual for Parenting: Seeking God’s Blueprint for Each Child
Pastor E.A. Adeboye shifts from spiritual warfare to the foundational battlefield of the family. Using the powerful analogy of a farmer and his seeds, he teaches that parenting is the most strategic form of sowing into the future. The success of the harvest depends not on generic methods, but on seeking and applying God’s unique manual for each child.
1. The Parenting Paradigm: Farmer and Seed
The Quality of the Seed Determines the Harvest’s Potential:
A farmer carefully selects the best seeds, knowing they contain the entire genetic blueprint for the future plant. In the same way, parents are stewards of the unique, God-given potential embedded within each child. The “seed” is the child’s inherent destiny, calling, and personality.
The Parent’s Role is Cultivation, Not Creation:
The parent, like the farmer, does not create the seed but is responsible for the environment and process that allows it to flourish. The material things provided are less important than the spiritual and character soil in which the child is planted.
2. The Manoah Model: Asking the Critical Question
Proactive Pursuit of Divine Direction:
Manoah stands as a model for all parents. He did not assume he knew how to raise the child of promise. His prayer, “How shall we order the child…?” is the most important question a parent can ask God. It acknowledges that the Creator holds the instruction manual for His creation.
Beyond Inherited Patterns:
Daddy Adeboye directly addresses a common pitfall: training children “the same way they were trained.” This one-size-fits-all approach is like planting every seed the same way, regardless of its type. It leads to frustration and stunted growth because it ignores the child’s God-wired design.
3. The Principle of Individual Design
Every Child Has a “Way” They “Should Go”:
The proverb does not say “train every child the same way.” It implies that each child has a specific “way”—a divinely ordained bent, calling, and temperament. Discerning this “way” is the parent’s primary responsibility.
The Soil Must Match the Seed:
The analogy of the cactus and the water lily is brilliant. A parenting style that works for one child (a discipline-heavy “desert”) might wither a sensitive, artistic child (a “water lily”) who needs more encouragement and nurturing. Parents must seek God to understand the specific “soil conditions” each of their children needs to thrive.
How to Parent by Divine Blueprint
1. Pray the Manoah Prayer Early and Often:
From pregnancy through adulthood, consistently ask God: “Lord, show me how to order this child. What is the unique way You have designed them to go? Give me Your strategy for their life.”
2. Study Your Child Through Spiritual Lenses:
Observe your child not just for behavioral issues, but for spiritual gifts, natural inclinations, and passions. These are clues from the Holy Spirit about their God-given design. Pray for discernment to see them as God sees them.
3. Partner with the Holy Spirit, the Ultimate Guide:
You cannot figure this out on your own. “Get acquainted with the One who made the child.” Develop your own intimacy with the Holy Spirit, who knows the deep things of God (1 Corinthians 2:10) and can reveal the deep things of your child.
Warning: The Danger of Assembly-Line Parenting
Raising children based solely on tradition, cultural trends, or pressure from other parents risks forcing a child into a mold God never intended for them. This can lead to a lifetime of frustration, a sense of not fulfilling their destiny, and ultimately, a departure from the faith if the “training” feels alien to their God-given identity.
Conclusion: Your Highest Calling as a Parent
Pray this:
“Heavenly Father, I acknowledge that You are the Creator of my child/children. I confess my need for Your wisdom. Like Manoah, I ask You today: How shall I order this child? Give me the divine manual for their life. Help me to discern their unique design and to cultivate it with love, discipline, and grace, so they may grow into the mighty tree of righteousness You destined them to be, in Jesus’ name.”
Action Steps:
- Schedule a “Manoah Moment”: Set aside dedicated time this week to pray specifically for each of your children by name, asking God for one specific insight into their character or calling.
- Journal Their Uniqueness: Start a spiritual journal for each child. Note their prayers, questions, passions, and struggles. Look for patterns that reveal their God-given “bent.”
- Commit to a Fresh Start: If you have been using a one-size-fits-all approach, repent and ask God for a fresh strategy tailored to each child.
Remember: You are not just raising a child; you are nurturing a destiny. The time you spend seeking God’s blueprint for their life is the greatest investment you will ever make.
“And all thy children shall be taught of the LORD; and great shall be the peace of thy children.” (Isaiah 54:13). This is your promise as you partner with Him.
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