The Open Heavens 17 April 2026 devotional for today is REVERSING BARRENNESS.
The author of this daily devotion is Pastor E. A. Adeboye, General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG).
OPEN HEAVENS 17 APRIL 2026 TODAY DEVOTIONAL
TOPIC: REVERSING BARRENNESS
MEMORISE
He maketh the barren woman to keep house, and to be a joyful mother of children. Praise ye the LORD.
Psalm 113:9
READ: 2 Kings 4:8-17
8 And it fell on a day, that Elisha passed to Shunem, where was a great woman; and she constrained him to eat bread. And so it was, that as oft as he passed by, he turned in thither to eat bread.
9 And she said unto her husband, Behold now, I perceive that this is an holy man of God, which passeth by us continually.
10 Let us make a little chamber, I pray thee, on the wall; and let us set for him there a bed, and a table, and a stool, and a candlestick: and it shall be, when he cometh to us, that he shall turn in thither.
11 And it fell on a day, that he came thither, and he turned into the chamber, and lay there.
12 And he said to Gehazi his servant, Call this Shunammite. And when he had called her, she stood before him.
13 And he said unto him, Say now unto her, Behold, thou hast been careful for us with all this care; what is to be done for thee? wouldest thou be spoken for to the king, or to the captain of the host? And she answered, I dwell among mine own people.
14 And he said, What then is to be done for her? And Gehazi answered, Verily she hath no child, and her husband is old.
15 And he said, Call her. And when he had called her, she stood in the door.
16 And he said, About this season, according to the time of life, thou shalt embrace a son. And she said, Nay, my lord, thou man of God, do not lie unto thine handmaid.
17 And the woman conceived, and bare a son at that season that Elisha had said unto her, according to the time of life.
RCCG OPEN HEAVEN 17 APRIL 2026 TODAY MESSAGE
Years ago, a woman, who was waiting on God for children, kept going to her pastor for prayers. After a while, the pastor said, “I’ve prayed for many people who were looking for children, and now, they have their children. Why is your case different?”
The woman then revealed that she had once tried to terminate a pregnancy, but the procedure went wrong, and in order to save her life, the doctors removed her womb. On hearing this, the pastor asked in shock, “You’ve had no womb all these while, yet you kept asking me to pray for you to have a child?”
From that day on, the pastor started avoiding her. When she noticed this, she turned to God and said, “I won’t go to my pastor anymore. I will come to You, my Maker.”
Shortly after that, she had a dream one night. In the dream, she was naked, and as she stood in a spot, a huge man approached her with an animal’s skin in his hands. On getting to where she was standing, he wrapped the animal’s skin around her belly and disappeared. That experience signalled the end of her barrenness. The last time I heard about her, she had given birth to five children!
God can reverse the irreversible. In Genesis 21:1-2, He reversed the deadness of Abraham and Sarah’s bodies and gave them a child after many years of barrenness. Likewise, in 1 Samuel 1:4-20. He remembered Hannah and opened her womb.
In today’s Bible reading, the Shunammite woman saw Elisha passing by and compelled him to come to her house to eat. She fed him on many other occasions and built him a small chamber in her house to host him whenever he passed by. When God decided to visit her, Elisha told her that she would have a son, and she told him not to deceive her. That was a clear sign of unbelief, but the Almighty God bypassed her doubts and gave her a son because of her heart of service.
Beloved, are you expecting the miracle of a child or fruitfulness in any area of your life? Keep serving the Lord and honouring Him. Hold on to His word, and you will never be disappointed. I pray that He will reverse any form of barrenness in your life and cause you to be fruitful in all areas of your life, in Jesus’ name.
PRAYER POINT:
Father, please make me fruitful in every area of my life.
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1 Kings 21-22
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OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL 7 APRIL 2026 COMMENTARY
MEMORISE: Psalm 113:9
“He maketh the barren woman to keep house, and to be a joyful mother of children. Praise ye the LORD.”
This verse declares a specific area where God specializes: reversing barrenness. Not just the barrenness of the womb, but every kind of emptiness and fruitlessness. He takes the woman who cannot produce and makes her not just a mother, but a joyful mother. The verse ends with “Praise ye the LORD”—because when God does this, only praise is the appropriate response.
BIBLE READING: 2 Kings 4:8-17
This passage tells the story of a wealthy woman in Shunem who showed extraordinary kindness to the prophet Elisha. She recognized him as a holy man of God and persuaded him to eat with her whenever he passed by. Eventually, she and her husband built a small chamber in their house specifically for him, furnishing it with a bed, table, stool, and candlestick. Elisha, grateful for her hospitality, wanted to reward her. Through his servant Gehazi, he discovered that she had no son and her husband was old. Elisha called her and declared, “About this season, according to the time of life, thou shalt embrace a son.” She responded with disbelief, saying, “Nay, my lord, do not lie unto thine handmaid.” But the word of God prevailed, and she conceived and bore a son at the appointed time. This passage demonstrates that God’s power to reverse barrenness is not hindered by our unbelief or by natural limitations.
The God Who Reverses Barrenness
In today’s devotional, Pastor E.A. Adeboye continues his teaching on God as the Reverser of the irreversible. This time, he focuses on a specific kind of miracle: the reversal of barrenness. Whether physical, spiritual, or circumstantial, God specializes in making the barren fruitful.
The Woman Without a Womb
The devotional opens with a heartbreaking testimony. A woman desperately wanted children and kept going to her pastor for prayers. After many sessions, the pastor grew frustrated and asked, “I’ve prayed for many people who now have children. Why is your case different?”
Then the woman revealed the truth: years earlier, she had attempted to terminate a pregnancy. The procedure went wrong, and to save her life, doctors removed her womb. She had been asking for prayer for a child while knowing she had no womb.
The pastor was shocked. He began avoiding her. Humanly speaking, her case was hopeless. No womb means no pregnancy. That’s the law of biology. The lower court had pronounced its verdict: barren forever.
But the woman didn’t give up. She turned from the pastor who avoided her to the God who made her. She said, “I won’t go to my pastor anymore. I will come to You, my Maker.”
Then God visited her in a dream. A huge man approached her naked body with an animal’s skin and wrapped it around her belly. When she woke, something had changed. The last report Daddy Adeboye heard about her was that she had given birth to five children.
Think about this: God didn’t just give her a child—He gave her five. He didn’t just reverse her barrenness—He multiplied her fruitfulness. The woman without a womb became a mother of five.
Sarah: The Body That Was Dead
The devotional points to Abraham and Sarah as the classic example of reversed barrenness. Sarah’s body was not just barren—it was dead. She was past the age of childbearing. Her womb had shut down decades earlier. Medically, conception was impossible.
But God asked a question that still echoes: “Is any thing too hard for the LORD?” (Genesis 18:14). At the appointed time, Sarah conceived. A dead womb brought forth life. A barren woman became the mother of nations.
Hannah: The Woman God Remembered
Hannah’s story is another powerful example. She was deeply loved by her husband but deeply wounded by her barrenness. Her rival, Peninnah, provoked her yearly, making her weep and refuse to eat. She poured out her soul to God at Shiloh, weeping bitterly, praying so intensely that Eli the priest thought she was drunk.
But God heard. He remembered her. She conceived and gave birth to Samuel, who became one of Israel’s greatest prophets. The barren woman became the mother of a nation-changer.
The Shunammite: Unbelief That Didn’t Stop God
The Bible reading presents a unique case. The Shunammite woman was hospitable to Elisha, building him a room in her house. When Elisha promised her a son, she responded with disbelief: “Nay, my lord, do not lie unto thine handmaid.”
She didn’t believe the promise. Humanly speaking, her situation was impossible—her husband was old. Yet despite her unbelief, God gave her a son.
This is encouraging. It shows that God’s power to reverse barrenness doesn’t depend on the perfection of our faith. It depends on His grace and His response to our heart of service. She served the man of God selflessly, and God overlooked her doubt and gave her the miracle.
What Kind of Barrenness Needs Reversing?
The devotional asks a broader question: what areas of your life are barren right now?
- Physical barrenness: Waiting for a child
- Marital barrenness: A relationship that isn’t producing joy or intimacy
- Financial barrenness: Income that never seems to grow, savings that never accumulate
- Ministry barrenness: Labor that doesn’t produce fruit, efforts that don’t yield results
- Spiritual barrenness: A dry prayer life, cold devotion, lack of spiritual growth
- Career barrenness: Working hard but getting no promotion or recognition
Whatever form of barrenness you are facing, the God who gave the woman without a womb five children can reverse it. The God who made Sarah conceive at ninety can make your dead situation live.
Keys to Reversal
From these testimonies, we see several keys to experiencing God’s reversal of barrenness:
- Don’t Give Up on God: The woman with no womb could have accepted her situation. Instead, she turned from the pastor who avoided her to the God who made her. When people give up on you, don’t give up on Him.
- Keep Serving: The Shunammite woman served Elisha without demanding anything in return. Her service preceded her miracle. Keep serving God and His people, even when you haven’t seen your breakthrough.
- Hold On to His Word: Sarah received the promise and, despite initial laughter, held on until it came to pass. God’s word to you is the seed of your miracle. Don’t let it go.
- Pour Out Your Heart: Hannah wept and prayed until her countenance changed. Don’t be afraid to be desperate before God. He honors honest, broken prayer.
- Expect Multiplication: The woman with no womb got five children. God doesn’t just reverse—He overdoes. Expect Him to do more than you can ask or think.
Conclusion: Your Barrenness Is Not Permanent
Whatever has been barren in your life, hear this word today: it is not permanent. The God who made the barren woman a joyful mother is your God. The God who gave the Shunammite a son despite her doubt is your God. The God who remembered Hannah is your God.
Turn to Him. Keep serving. Hold His word. Pour out your heart. And watch what He does.
Pray this:
“Father, I come to You as the One who makes the barren woman a joyful mother. I bring every barren area of my life before You—physical, spiritual, financial, relational. You saw the woman without a womb and gave her five children. You saw Sarah’s dead body and gave her Isaac. You saw Hannah’s tears and gave her Samuel. See me, Lord. Reverse my barrenness. Make me fruitful. Turn my mourning into joy. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”
Action Steps:
- Identify your barren areas: Write down the specific places where you need God’s reversal.
- Keep serving: Find one way this week to serve God or His people without expecting anything in return.
- Hold His word: Find a scripture that promises fruitfulness in your area of need. Write it down, memorize it, speak it daily.
- Pour out your heart: Set aside time this week for honest, desperate prayer. Let God hear your cry.
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