The Open Heavens 25 July 2026 devotional for today is PUT JESUS FIRST.
This is a daily devotion written by Pastor E. A. Adeboye, General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG).
OPEN HEAVENS 25 JULY 2026 TODAY DEVOTIONAL
TOPIC: PUT JESUS FIRST
MEMORISE:
I have set the LORD always before me: because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.
Psalm 16:8
READ: 1 Kings 17:8-16
8 And the word of the Lord came unto him, saying,
9 Arise, get thee to Zarephath, which belongeth to Zidon, and dwell there: behold, I have commanded a widow woman there to sustain thee.
10 So he arose and went to Zarephath. And when he came to the gate of the city, behold, the widow woman was there gathering of sticks: and he called to her, and said, Fetch me, I pray thee, a little water in a vessel, that I may drink.
11 And as she was going to fetch it, he called to her, and said, Bring me, I pray thee, a morsel of bread in thine hand.
12 And she said, As the Lord thy God liveth, I have not a cake, but an handful of meal in a barrel, and a little oil in a cruse: and, behold, I am gathering two sticks, that I may go in and dress it for me and my son, that we may eat it, and die.
13 And Elijah said unto her, Fear not; go and do as thou hast said: but make me thereof a little cake first, and bring it unto me, and after make for thee and for thy son.
14 For thus saith the Lord God of Israel, The barrel of meal shall not waste, neither shall the cruse of oil fail, until the day that the Lord sendeth rain upon the earth.
15 And she went and did according to the saying of Elijah: and she, and he, and her house, did eat many days.
16 And the barrel of meal wasted not, neither did the cruse of oil fail, according to the word of the Lord, which he spake by Elijah.
RCCG OPEN HEAVENS 25 JULY 2026 TODAY MESSAGE
One of the ways that believers can preserve and maintain their position as children of God is by putting Him first in everything. In Genesis 22:1-18, God tested Abraham to find out who was more important in his life: God’s gift to him (Isaac) or the Giver of the gift (God). He asked Abraham to sacrifice his only son, and he passed the test.
Abraham put God first and chose to obey Him. He knew that the God who quickened his dead body to bear a son could also raise his son from death (Hebrews 11:17-19). When he passed the test, the Almighty God made a promise to multiply him exceedingly, and today, Abraham’s seed can be found everywhere. When you put God first, He will single you out for mighty miracles.
In today’s Bible reading, a man of God met a widow and asked her for food. The widow responded that all she had was just enough for her and her son to make one last meal before they die.
However, she eventually gave up the meal to feed the prophet, and for the rest of the famine, she and her son didn’t suffer hunger. In Luke 4:25-26, the Bible tells us that there were many widows in the land of Israel whom Elijah could have been sent to at that time. However, I believe that God singled her out for an unending supply because He knew that she would put Him first.
One way to put God first in your life is to give Him your firstfruits. I find it surprising when some people struggle to offer their firstfruits to God. In Proverbs 3:9-10, God says that when you honour Him with your firstfruits, your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will overflow with new wine. You cannot put God first in your finances and experience scarcity or lack. Just do as God has said and leave the rest to Him.
Another way to put God first is to make His priorities your priority. One of the most important things to God is the salvation of souls. In Luke 19:10, Jesus said that He came to seek and save the lost.
Winning souls and making disciples are important to God; therefore, they should be important to you also. Beloved, tell others about Jesus today, and become actively involved in their spiritual growth.
Go the extra mile to ensure that someone else follows Jesus, and the Almighty God will single you out for His marvellous miracles.
PRAYER POINT
Father, please help me to put You first in every area of my life, in Jesus’ name.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR
Isaiah 38-40
Open Heavens HYMN 58: MY HOPE IS BUILT ON NOTHING ELSE
OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL 25 JULY 2026 COMMENTARY
MEMORISE: Psalm 16:8
“I have set the LORD always before me: because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.”
This verse is David’s declaration of unshakable stability. Daddy Adeboye anchors today’s devotional on this text because it reveals the secret of preservation: setting the Lord always before you.
BIBLE READING: 1 Kings 17:8-16
This passage records the story of the widow of Zarephath during a severe famine. God sent Elijah to her, and Elijah asked her for a drink of water and a piece of bread. She responded that she had only a handful of meal in a barrel and a little oil in a cruse, and she was gathering sticks to make one last meal for herself and her son before they died. Elijah told her, “Fear not; go and do as you have said, but make me a little cake first, and afterward make for you and your son. For thus saith the LORD God of Israel, The barrel of meal shall not waste, neither shall the cruse of oil fail, until the day that the LORD sendeth rain upon the earth.” She obeyed, putting God’s prophet before her own last meal. The result: she and her household ate for many days, and the barrel did not waste, nor did the oil fail.
The Test of Abraham: Who Comes First, the Gift or the Giver?
“In Genesis 22:1-18, God tested Abraham to find out who was more important in his life: God’s gift to him (Isaac) or the Giver of the gift (God). He asked Abraham to sacrifice his only son, and he passed the test.”
| What God Gave Abraham | What God Asked Him to Give Back |
|---|---|
| A son in his old age—Isaac, the child of promise | Sacrifice Isaac, his only son |
| The gift he had waited decades for | To surrender the gift back to the Giver |
| The hope of his future, the continuation of his lineage | To trust God even when it made no human sense |
“Abraham put God first and chose to obey Him. He knew that the God who quickened his dead body to bear a son could also raise his son from death (Hebrews 11:17-19).”
Hebrews 11:17-19 – “By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac… accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead.”
| Abraham’s Faith | The Result |
|---|---|
| God gave Isaac miraculously | God could raise Isaac from the dead |
| He did not withhold his only son | He passed the test of putting God first |
| He trusted the Giver more than the gift | He received the gift back plus multiplied blessings |
“When he passed the test, the Almighty God made a promise to multiply him exceedingly, and today, Abraham’s seed can be found everywhere.”
Genesis 22:17 – “In blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore.”
“When you put God first, He will single you out for mighty miracles.”
| Putting God First Leads To | Putting God Second Leads To |
|---|---|
| Being singled out for miracles | Being ordinary, overlooked |
| Multiplication and blessing | Scarcity and lack |
| The Giver gives more | The gift may be taken away |
The Widow of Zarephath: Putting God First with Her Last Meal
1. The Desperate Situation
“In today’s Bible reading, a man of God met a widow and asked her for food. The widow responded that all she had was just enough for her and her son to make one last meal before they die.”
| What She Had | What She Did Not Have |
|---|---|
| A handful of meal in a barrel | Any other food |
| A little oil in a cruse | Hope of more |
| Two lives to feed | No margin, no reserve |
Her last meal. After this, death.
2. The Test
“However, she eventually gave up the meal to feed the prophet, and for the rest of the famine, she and her son didn’t suffer hunger.”
| What Elijah Asked | What She Had to Do |
|---|---|
| “Make me a little cake first” | Put God’s prophet before herself |
| “Afterward make for you and your son” | Trust that God would provide after she gave |
| “The barrel shall not waste, neither shall the oil fail” | Believe God’s promise despite her circumstances |
She had every reason to refuse. She could have said, “I have a child to feed. I cannot give away our last meal.” But she put God first. And God multiplied her last meal into an endless supply.
“In Luke 4:25-26, the Bible tells us that there were many widows in the land of Israel whom Elijah could have been sent to at that time. However, I believe that God singled her out for an unending supply because He knew that she would put Him first.”
| Many Widows in Israel | This Widow in Zarephath |
|---|---|
| Also poor, also desperate | Also poor, also desperate |
| Also in need of a miracle | But she was chosen |
| Why her? | Because God knew she would put Him first |
God is looking for people He can single out for supernatural provision. People who will put Him first—even when it costs them their last meal.
Practical Ways to Put God First
1. Give God Your Firstfruits
“One way to put God first in your life is to give Him your firstfruits. I find it surprising when some people struggle to offer their firstfruits to God.”
Proverbs 3:9-10 – “Honour the LORD with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase: So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine.”
| Honouring God with Firstfruits | Withholding Firstfruits |
|---|---|
| You give the first and best to God | You give God leftovers, if anything |
| You trust God with the beginning | You hope to have something left after you have taken care of yourself |
| Barns filled with plenty | Barns empty or struggling |
“You cannot put God first in your finances and experience scarcity or lack. Just do as God has said and leave the rest to Him.”
| The Promise | The Condition |
|---|---|
| Barns filled with plenty | Honour God with your firstfruits |
| Vats overflowing with new wine | Put Him first, not last |
2. Make God’s Priorities Your Priority
“Another way to put God first is to make His priorities your priority. One of the most important things to God is the salvation of souls. In Luke 19:10, Jesus said that He came to seek and save the lost.”
Luke 19:10 – “For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.”
| God’s Priority | Your Priority Should Be |
|---|---|
| Seeking and saving the lost | Winning souls |
| Making disciples | Discipling others |
| Expanding the kingdom | Active involvement in evangelism |
“Winning souls and making disciples are important to God; therefore, they should be important to you also.”
| Putting God First in Priorities | Putting God Last in Priorities |
|---|---|
| You schedule time for evangelism | You are “too busy” to witness |
| You invest in discipleship | You focus only on your own growth |
| You care about the lost | You are indifferent to those perishing |
“Beloved, tell others about Jesus today, and become actively involved in their spiritual growth. Go the extra mile to ensure that someone else follows Jesus, and the Almighty God will single you out for His marvellous miracles.”
What Happens When You Put God First
Based on Daddy Adeboye’s teaching and the biblical examples, here is what you can expect when you make God your priority:
| What You Receive | Scriptural Basis |
|---|---|
| Being singled out for miracles | The widow of Zarephath was chosen among many |
| Multiplication of your seed (descendants, influence, blessing) | Abraham’s promise |
| Barns filled with plenty, vats overflowing | Proverbs 3:9-10 |
| Unending supply in times of famine | The widow’s barrel did not waste |
| You shall not be moved (stability, preservation) | Psalm 16:8 |
How to Put God First in Every Area (Practical Steps)
Based on Daddy Adeboye’s teaching, here is how to set the Lord always before you:
1. In Your Finances: Give the Firstfruits
Do not calculate what you will give to God after you have paid your bills, bought what you want, and saved what you need. Give the first portion. The first day’s income. The first of the harvest. Trust God with the beginning.
2. In Your Time: Give the First Hours
Do not give God the leftover minutes at the end of the day when you are exhausted. Give Him the first hours of your morning. Seek Him before you check your phone, before you start work, before you attend to others.
3. In Your Priorities: Make Soul-Winning Central
Block out time for evangelism. Invest in discipleship. Share your faith this week. Pray for the lost. Go the extra mile to bring someone to Jesus.
4. In Your Testing: Refuse to Withhold Your Isaac
What is your “Isaac”? The thing you love most. The dream you cherish. The relationship you cling to. The comfort you cannot imagine giving up. God may ask for it. Put Him first. Trust that He can give it back or give you something better.
Warning: Putting God Second Has Consequences
Daddy Adeboye’s devotional carries an implicit warning: when you put God second, you miss out on being singled out for miracles.
| Putting God Second Leads To | Putting God First Leads To |
|---|---|
| Ordinary provision, not supernatural | Supernatural, unending supply |
| Barns that are not full | Barns filled with plenty |
| Not being singled out | Being chosen among many |
| Being moved, unstable | “I shall not be moved” |
The many widows in Israel continued in their poverty. The one widow who put God first experienced a miracle that lasted through the famine. Which one will you be?
Conclusion: Your Prayer for First Place Priority
Daddy Adeboye closes with a call to put God first in everything—finances, priorities, soul-winning, and daily decisions. The God who singled out Abraham and the widow of Zarephath will single you out for marvelous miracles.
Pray this:
“Lord Jesus, I declare that I will set You always before me. You are at my right hand, and I shall not be moved. Forgive me for the times I have put You second—when I gave You leftovers of my time, my finances, and my priorities. Today, I choose to put You first. I honour You with my firstfruits. I give You the first hours of my day. I make Your priorities my priorities. I will win souls. I will make disciples. I will go the extra mile to bring others to You. Like Abraham, I will not withhold my Isaac. Like the widow of Zarephath, I will give You my last meal if You ask. Single me out for Your marvelous miracles. Fill my barns with plenty. Let my vats overflow. And let me never be moved. In Jesus’ mighty name.”
Action Steps:
- The Firstfruits Commitment: If you have not been giving your firstfruits, start this month. Set aside the first portion of your income as an offering to God before you spend anything else.
- The Isaac Audit: Ask God: Is there anything I am holding back from You? Any “Isaac” that I have placed before You? Identify it. Surrender it.
- The Soul-Winning Goal: Set a specific goal to share your faith with at least one person this week. Go the extra mile. Invite them to church. Follow up. Disciple them.
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