The Open Heaven 17 September 2026 devotional for today is DISCOVERING YOUR PURPOSE.
This is a daily devotion written by Pastor E. A. Adeboye, General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG).
OPEN HEAVEN 17 SEPTEMBER 2026 TODAY DEVOTIONAL
TOPIC: DISCOVERING YOUR PURPOSE
MEMORISE:
Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, l am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.
John 8:12
READ: Acts 9:3-6
3 And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven:
4 And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?
5 And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.
6 And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do.
RCCG OPEN HEAVEN 17 SEPTEMBER 2026 TODAY MESSAGE
In Galatians 1:15, Apostle Paul said that God separated him to Himself while he was still in his mother’s womb. However, he didn’t know God’s plan for his life until he met Christ in Acts 9:3-6, as we see in today’s Bible reading.
Many people live and die without discovering why God sent them to the world. For instance, some
people think that they are meant to be teachers when, in fact, God meant for them to be tailors, so they struggle through life without making much progress. Some people, however, discover God’s purpose for their lives early, and they keep on succeeding.
Before I met Christ, my ambition was to be the youngest Vice Chancellor (VC) in Africa. I thought that was what I was supposed to do in life. I was doing quite well, and at a very young age, l became the acting Head of the Mathematics Department at a Federal university in Nigeria. I had already completed the interview process to become a full professor, and I was expecting to start using the title “Professor’ in a few months when God called me into full-time ministry. I never became the youngest VC in Africa, but today, many VCs call me Daddy. Even though I never became a VC, God has started a university through me by His grace. I pray for you today that you will discover God’s plan for your life and fulfill it, in Jesus’ name.
Beloved, following Jesus Christ closely is the only way you can discover God’s purpose for your life.
When His light shines on you, it will point you in the direction you should go. Paul discovered his purpose because the light of God shone on him in Acts 9:3-6. Until that light came, he was living contrary to God’s plan for his life, even though he thought he was fulfilling God’s purpose. Some people are actively climbing career and ministerial ladders that are leaning on the wrong wall. It is only after they have reached the top that they realise that they have been working fervently in a space that God has not called them into. I pray that such will never be your story. May you not labour in an area God has not called you to, in Jesus’ name. The light of God will shine on you, and it will direct and empower you to fulfil your purpose, in Jesus’ name.
PRAYER POINT
Father, please align me with Your purpose for my life
and empower me to fulfil it, in Jesus’ name.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR
Joel 1-3
HYMN: ALL TO JESUS
OPEN HEAVEN DEVOTIONAL 17 SEPTEMBER 2026 COMMENTARY
Today’s message tackles one of the most vital questions every human being must ask: “Why am I here?”
Grounded in John 8:12 and the dramatic conversion of Saul in Acts 9:3-6, Daddy Adeboye shows us that true fulfilment and success are impossible without discovering and walking in God’s original blueprint for our lives.
1. The Hidden Blueprint
The devotional draws our attention to Galatians 1:15, where the Apostle Paul realized that God had actually set him apart and separated him from his mother’s womb. Yet, despite this divine separation, Paul spent years living in complete ignorance of his true calling. He was highly educated, extremely zealous, and sincerely believed he was serving God, but he was actually working against God’s kingdom until he had a personal encounter with Jesus Christ.
Daddy points out a tragic reality in our world today: many people live and die without ever discovering why God sent them to the earth. When you do not know your purpose, life becomes a series of exhausting struggles. Pastor gives a very practical example: some people might struggle through life as teachers when God actually created them to excel as tailors. On the other hand, those who discover God’s purpose early enjoy a life of continuous progress and success.
2. Daddy Adeboye’s Personal Testimony
To illustrate this, Daddy shares his own famous academic journey. Before he met Christ, his ultimate ambition was to become the youngest Vice Chancellor (VC) in Africa. He was highly driven and incredibly successful at a young age, becoming the acting Head of the Mathematics Department at a Federal university in Nigeria. He had completed his interviews and was only a few months away from officially using the prestigious title of “Professor” when God disrupted his plans and called him into full-time ministry.
Humanly speaking, it looked like a massive sacrifice. He never became that youngest VC. But look at how God rewarded his obedience! Today, numerous Vice Chancellors call him “Daddy,” and God has used him to establish a world-class university. Pastor’s life is proof that when you hand over your plans to God, His reality will far exceed your highest ambitions.
3. The Danger of the Wrong Wall
The devotional warns us about a major trap: climbing career or ministerial ladders that are leaning against the wrong wall. It is a tragedy to spend your entire life working fervently, sacrificing, and climbing to the very top, only to realize at the end that you spent your life in a space God never called you into. The only way to avoid this is to follow Jesus closely, allowing His light to shine on you and point you in the direction you should go.
Relating This to Your Everyday Life
It is very easy to fall into the trap of letting society, parental expectations, or peer pressure dictate your career path. You might be working in a lucrative corporate job, yet you feel a deep, persistent emptiness inside. Like Saul, you might be highly active, yet spiritually out of alignment with God’s perfect will.
To deepen our understanding of this divine alignment, let us look at two scriptures:
- Jeremiah 1:5: “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; before you were born I sanctified you; I ordained you…” This confirms Galatians 1:15—your purpose was established long before you took your first breath. You do not create your purpose; you discover it.
- Proverbs 3:5-6: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.” When you stop trying to figure out your life based on human logic and closely follow Christ, He directs your steps.
Life Example:
Consider Moses. For forty years, he thought his purpose was to deliver Israel by his own political status and physical strength, which led him to murder an Egyptian and flee into exile. It was only when he encountered God’s light at the burning bush that he discovered his true calling and the divine pattern for his life. Once he aligned with God’s method, he delivered a whole nation.
Stop struggling in your own strength. If you feel like you are working hard but making little progress, it is time to ask Jesus to shine His light on your career, your business, and your choices.
Action Steps
- Surrender Your Ambitions: Sit down with a journal and list your biggest life goals. Honestly ask yourself: “Are these my dreams, or are they God’s dreams for me?” Surrender them to Him.
- Spend Time in Quiet Prayer: Dedicate a specific time this week to ask the Holy Spirit to reveal any area where you are climbing a ladder leaning against the wrong wall.
- Follow Jesus Daily: Prioritise daily scripture study and worship. God’s direction is not a one-time map; it is a daily walk guided by His light.
Prayer Points
- Father, thank You for Your good purpose for my life. Thought of peace and not evil to give me an expected end
- Lord, let Your glorious light shine upon my life today; deliver me from every form of spiritual darkness and confusion, in Jesus’ name.
- Father, please align me completely with Your original purpose for my life and empower me with the grace and strength to fulfill it, in Jesus’ name.
- Father, give me the courage and obedience to lay down my personal ambitions whenever You call me to a higher assignment, in Jesus’ name.
- Lord, open my eyes to see and my ears to hear Your direction, so that I will not labor in vain or struggle in areas You have not called me to, in Jesus’ name.
- Father, let Your divine purpose for my life speak, prosper, and bring blessings to my generation, according to Your perfect will, in Jesus’ name.
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