The Open Heaven 21 September 2026 devotional for today is REMAIN UNDER HIS COVERING II.
This is a daily devotion written by Pastor E. A. Adeboye, General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG).
OPEN HEAVEN 21 SEPTEMBER 2026 TODAY DEVOTIONAL
TOPIC: REMAIN UNDER HIS COVERING II
MEMORISE:
For we are unto God a sweet savour of Christ, in them that are saved, and in them that perish:
2 Corinthians 2:15
READ: 2 Kings 5:20-27
20 But Gehazi, the servant of Elisha the man of God, said, Behold, my master hath spared Naaman this Syrian, in not receiving at his hands that which he brought: but, as the Lord liveth, I will run after him, and take somewhat of him.
21 So Gehazi followed after Naaman. And when Naaman saw him running after him, he lighted down from the chariot to meet him, and said, Is all well?
22 And he said, All is well. My master hath sent me, saying, Behold, even now there be come to me from mount Ephraim two young men of the sons of the prophets: give them, I pray thee, a talent of silver, and two changes of garments.
23 And Naaman said, Be content, take two talents. And he urged him, and bound two talents of silver in two bags, with two changes of garments, and laid them upon two of his servants; and they bare them before him.
24 And when he came to the tower, he took them from their hand, and bestowed them in the house: and he let the men go, and they departed.
25 But he went in, and stood before his master. And Elisha said unto him, Whence comest thou, Gehazi? And he said, Thy servant went no whither.
26 And he said unto him, Went not mine heart with thee, when the man turned again from his chariot to meet thee? Is it a time to receive money, and to receive garments, and oliveyards, and vineyards, and sheep, and oxen, and menservants, and maidservants?
27 The leprosy therefore of Naaman shall cleave unto thee, and unto thy seed for ever. And he went out from his presence a leper as white as snow.
RCCG OPEN HEAVEN 21 SEPTEMBER 2026 TODAY MESSAGE
Years ago, when I was a younger Christian, many people would come to me and say, “Young man, we see the way you are on fire for the Lord. Make sure you don’t backslide.”
Whenever I heard that, I would smile because I had made up my mind that ! would not be a fool and return to the fear, sickness, and bondage Jesus took away from my life when I became born again.
I thank God for His grace, which has kept me all these years. Remembering where God brought me from has been one of the ways I have stayed on course.
When you constantly remember what Jesus saved you from, no one will need to preach to you to remain in Christ. I pray that you will not yield to satan’s temptations to depart from the cover of the shadow of God’s wings, in Jesus’ name.
Anyone who departs from the cover that the shadow of God’s wings provides is open to all kinds of sicknesses and diseases. Today’s Bible reading tells us the story of Gehazi, who decided to leave the shelter of God’s wings.
Within a day, the fellow who could have ended up as the next prophet, because he was Elisha’s servant, ended up becoming a leper. Sometimes, it only takes a brief moment for people who decide to leave God’s covering to forfeit all the blessings they have enjoyed under His cover. I pray that your story will not move from glory to shame, in Jesus’ name.
People who wander from the shadow of God’s wings expose themselves to death. Proverbs 21:16 says, “The man that wandereth out of the way of understanding shall remain in the congregation of the dead.” When people are in the congregation of the dead, their lives stink.
People who decide to backslide have accepted an open invitation to a stinking life. They have decided to invite rottenness and disfavour into their lives.
No matter how beautiful a house may be, guests will avoid it once a rat has died inside and begun to decay. They might not want to wine or dine with the owner of the house until the pungent smell has been taken care of. In 2 Corinthians 2:14-15, however, Apostle Paul describes the believer as a sweet savour of Christ.
Beloved, when you abide under the shadow of the Almighty, you will continue to increase in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man (Luke 2:52).
KEY POINT
Wandering from God’s covering is extending an invitation
to shame, sickness, and death.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR
Jonah 1-4
HYMN 34: YIELD NOT TO TEMPTATION
OPEN HEAVEN DEVOTIONAL 21 SEPTEMBER 2026 COMMENTARY
Today’s Open Heavens devotional delivers an urgent spiritual warning about the high cost of stepping out from under God’s protective umbrella.
It focuses on the tragedy of Gehazi and the dangerous reality of backsliding, reminding us that wandering away from God’s presence always leads to a stinking life of shame, sickness, and spiritual death.
1. The Power of Remembering Your Roots
Daddy Adeboye begins by sharing a personal testimony from his younger days as a Christian. Well-meaning believers would often see his zeal and warn him, “Young man… make sure you don’t backslide”. Pastor explains that he would simply smile, having already resolved in his heart never to be a fool and return to the fear, sickness, and bondage that Jesus had completely delivered him from.
Daddy teaches us a powerful key to spiritual endurance: constantly remember where God brought you from. When you keep your deliverance fresh in your memory, no one has to beg you to stay under the shadow of God’s wings.
2. The Gehazi Tragedy: Trading Your Mantle for Leprosy
To show us what happens when we leave God’s covering, Pastor directs us to 2 Kings 5:20-27. Gehazi was Elisha’s close servant. He was physically positioned to inherit a double portion of Elisha’s miraculous anointing and become the next great prophet in Israel.
However, greed blinded him. When Elisha refused to take gifts from Naaman the Syrian, Gehazi secretly ran after Naaman, lied to him to extract silver and garments, and hid the loot in his house. He then stood before Elisha and lied again, saying, “Thy servant went no whither”.
But the Holy Spirit revealed everything to Elisha. In a single, tragic moment, Gehazi stepped out of God’s covering. He walked out of his master’s presence as a leper, white as snow, passing a generational curse down to his descendants. Daddy warns us that it only takes one brief moment of compromise to forfeit a lifetime of glory and blessings.
3. The Odour of Backsliding
The devotional paints a vivid picture of the spiritual state of a backslider. He quotes Proverbs 21:16, warning that those who wander out of the way of understanding will remain in the “congregation of the dead”.
When a believer backslides, their life begins to “stink” spiritually. Daddy compares this to a beautiful, expensive mansion. No matter how grand the house is, if a small rat dies and begins to decay inside, guests will avoid the home because of the pungent, offensive smell. In the same way, backsliding invites rottenness and disfavour into our lives. But when we abide in God’s covering, we remain a sweet savour of Christ unto God and those around us (2 Corinthians 2:15).
Relating This to Your Everyday Life
It is incredibly easy to have a “Gehazi moment” in our modern lives. The temptation rarely looks like a dramatic denial of God. Instead, it creeps in through subtle, daily compromises:
- A “harmless” lie to cover up a mistake at work.
- Taking a dishonest financial shortcut or bribe because “everyone else is doing it”.
- Allowing secret, unholy habits to enter your private space, thinking no one is watching.
To deepen our understanding of staying secure, let us look at two scriptures not mentioned in the devotional:
- Proverbs 10:9: “He who walks with integrity walks securely, but he who perverts his ways will become known.” Gehazi thought his secret chase was hidden, but God’s eyes saw everything. Integrity is your ultimate safety net.
- 1 Peter 5:8: We are commanded to be sober and vigilant because our adversary, the devil, walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. The devil cannot touch you while you are under the shadow of the Almighty, but the moment you step out of the covering through compromise, you enter his hunting ground.
A Life Example:
Imagine a highly gifted Christian professional who is being groomed for a major promotion. Out of impatience or financial pressure, they decide to leak confidential company information for a quick payout. They get caught, lose their job, ruin their reputation, and face legal consequences. They traded a glorious, long-term future (their “prophetic mantle”) for a temporary pocket of silver.
Action Steps
- Reflect on Your Deliverance: Write down 3 major things Jesus saved you from (fear, addiction, sickness, hopelessness). Whenever you feel tempted to compromise, look at this list and declare: “I am not a fool; I am never going back!”
- Flee from “Gehazi-like” Shortcuts: Actively reject any financial gain, relationship, or opportunity that requires you to lie, cheat, or compromise your Christian values.
- Abide Continuously: Don’t be a “Sunday-only” visitor to God’s presence. Cultivate a daily lifestyle of prayer, Scripture study, and worship to ensure you remain firmly planted under His shadow.
Prayer Points
- Father, I thank You with all my heart for Your grace, Your mercy, and for saving me.
- Lord, give me the spiritual stamina to remain firmly under the cover of the shadow of Your wings; let me never yield to the devil’s temptation to wander away, in Jesus’ name.
- Father, deliver my heart from the spirit of greed, covetousness, and compromise; let me never trade my glorious destiny for temporary worldly gain, in Jesus’ name.
- Lord, search my heart and purge me of every secret sin or dishonesty.
- Father, let Your Holy Spirit continuously renew my mind so that I will never become a backslider.
- Lord, let my words, my character, and my actions draw men out of darkness into Your light, in Jesus’ name.
- Father, as I abide under Your covering, let me continuously increase in wisdom, stature, and in favour with You and with man all the days of my life, in Jesus’ name.
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