The Open Heavens 4 June 2026 devotional for today is A BRAND-NEW HEART IV.
This is a daily devotion written by Pastor E. A. Adeboye, General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG).
OPEN HEAVENS 4 JUNE 2026 TODAY DEVOTIONAL
TOPIC: A BRAND-NEW HEART IV
MEMORISE:
I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot.
Revelation 3:15
READ: Matthew 13:7, Matthew 13:22
7 And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprung up, and choked them:
22 He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful.
RCCG OPEN HEAVENS 4 JUNE 2026 TODAY MESSAGE
The third kind of soil Jesus described in His parable about the sower is ‘Thorny ground’. He compared this soil type to people who hear God’s word, but are distracted by many things that prevent the word from bearing fruit in their lives.
This type of people appear to love God’s word, but clearly not enough to change their ways or let go of some worldly pleasures. A male chorister in a church choir who serves God fervently but still fornicates is an example of someone with a thorny heart. Such people received the word of God at a point, but they did not allow it to change them.
Some Christians argue by asking questions like, “Where is it written in the Bible that drinking alcohol is a sin?” Some others even say that listening to worldly music is not a sin as long as they do not do what the lyrics of the songs say, or that gambling is not bad so long as the Bible doesn’t say so.
Whenever I hear such statements, I know that they are coming from thorny hearts. They want to serve God, but they are unwilling to let go of worldly pleasures. If you find yourself trying to find loopholes through which you can serve God and still do some of the things unbelievers usually do, beware, that is a major symptom of a thorny heart
Being God’s child is not about following rules and regulations; it is about being like Christ. When the Holy Spirit is truly dwelling in you, you will flee things that can hinder your relationship with God or cause unbelievers to blaspheme His name, whether they are clearly referred to as sins in the Bible or not.
For instance, if a Christian man puts his hand around the waist of a woman who is not his wife, it can be argued that he didn’t break his vows to his wife, but it is clearly inappropriate. Also, such an action can make unbelievers speak against the faith.
Beloved, many people have lost their relationships with Christ because they do not want to change completely for Him. They want to do whatever they like and still hold on to Jesus. If you are living this way, you need to have a change of heart today because there will be no fruits to show from your walk with God. I pray that you will live a fruitful life as a Christian, in Jesus’ name.
REFLECTION
Are you fully surrendered to God, or are you looking for loopholes in His word so you can behave like the world?
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR
Job 35-38
Open Heavens HYMN 39: I AM THINE, O LORD
OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL 4 JUNE 2026 COMMENTARY
MEMORISE: Revelation 3:15
“I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot.”
This verse is the Risen Christ’s indictment against the Laodicean church—a church that made Him nauseous. Daddy Adeboye anchors today’s devotional on this text because the thorny heart is the ultimate expression of lukewarm Christianity. Such a believer wants enough of God to feel spiritual but not enough to surrender completely. They are neither cold (rejecting Christ openly) nor hot (abandoning all for Christ). They are dangerously comfortable in the middle, and Jesus says this condition makes Him want to vomit.
BIBLE READING: Matthew 13:7, Matthew 13:22
Matthew 13:7 – “And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprung up, and choked them.”
Matthew 13:22 – “He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful.”
Unlike the wayside (where the seed never entered) and the stony ground (where the seed sprouted but withered under persecution), the thorny ground presents a different tragedy: the seed grows, but so do the thorns. The word is received and begins to take root, but competing loves—the cares of this world, the deception of wealth, and the pursuit of pleasure—slowly strangle it. The result is not death by persecution but death by distraction. The thorny believer remains alive but utterly unfruitful.
The Thorny Heart: Divided Loyalties, Zero Fruit
1. The Profile of a Thorny Heart Believer
Daddy Adeboye gives a startlingly specific and uncomfortable description of thorny ground Christians. They are not atheists, backsliders who left the church, or people who deny Christ. They are active, serving, singing, and seemingly committed believers—whose hearts are secretly choked.
| External Appearance | Internal Reality |
|---|---|
| Serves God fervently in church | Still practices secret sin (fornication, lust, dishonesty) |
| Knows and loves God’s word | Unwilling to let the word change their behavior |
| Attends services regularly | Finds loopholes to keep worldly pleasures |
| Can argue theology | Uses Scripture to justify compromise rather than to surrender |
| Appears spiritual to others | Has no spiritual fruit to show privately |
“A male chorister in a church choir who serves God fervently but still fornicates is an example of someone with a thorny heart.” – Pastor E.A. Adeboye (Daddy Adeboye)
This is a piercing diagnosis. The thorny heart person is not the one who stopped coming to church. It is the one who is still on the choir stand, still raising holy hands, still singing about the blood of Jesus—while sleeping with someone they are not married to. The thorns have not killed them; the thorns have choked them. They are alive but unproductive.
2. The Three Thorns Jesus Identified (Matthew 13:22)
Daddy Adeboye draws from Jesus’ own explanation of the parable to name the specific thorns that choke the word:
| Thorn | Description | Modern Manifestation |
|---|---|---|
| The care of this world | Anxiety, worry, and consuming concern with earthly matters | Obsession with career, money, reputation, or social media approval |
| The deceitfulness of riches | The false promise that wealth brings security and happiness | Greed, exploitation, loving money, trusting in bank accounts more than God |
| Pleasure-seeking | The pursuit of sensual or worldly enjoyment as life’s priority | Nightclubs, inappropriate entertainment, indulgence in fleshly desires |
These thorns do not usually arrive as dramatic temptations to renounce Christ. They grow slowly, subtly, and respectably. A little more work. A little more money. A little more comfort. A little more entertainment. And before long, the word of God is still present—but it is dwarfed, starved of sunlight, and utterly fruitless.
The Loophole Mentality: A Major Symptom
1. Arguing About What Is “Technically” Sin
Daddy Adeboye exposes a telltale sign of the thorny heart: the desperate search for biblical loopholes.
“Some Christians argue by asking questions like, ‘Where is it written in the Bible that drinking alcohol is a sin?’ Some others even say that listening to worldly music is not a sin as long as they do not do what the lyrics say, or that gambling is not bad so long as the Bible doesn’t say so.”
The thorny heart wants a list of rules so they can calculate how close to the edge they can walk without falling. They ask:
- “How much alcohol is permissible?”
- “What kind of worldly music is acceptable?”
- “Is gambling really condemned if the word ‘gambling’ isn’t in Scripture?”
Daddy Adeboye’s response is unambiguous: “Whenever I hear such statements, I know that they are coming from thorny hearts.” The question is not “What can I get away with?” but “What honors Christ?”
2. The Fatal Flaw in the Loophole Argument
The thorny heart believer operates on a false premise: that Christianity is a set of rules to be minimally obeyed. Daddy Adeboye corrects this:
“Being God’s child is not about following rules and regulations; it is about being like Christ.”
A son does not ask his father, “How close can I get to the fire without being burned?” A son who loves his father stays away from the fire entirely because he does not want to grieve his father’s heart. The Holy Spirit does not need a written prohibition for every possible action. The Spirit produces discernment, sensitivity, and a desire to flee anything—whether explicitly named in Scripture or not—that would:
- Hinder your relationship with God
- Cause unbelievers to blaspheme God’s name
- Resemble the works of the flesh rather than the fruit of the Spirit
The Inappropriateness Test (Beyond “Is It Sin?”)
Daddy Adeboye gives a concrete example that cuts through the loophole mentality:
“If a Christian man puts his hand around the waist of a woman who is not his wife, it can be argued that he didn’t break his vows to his wife, but it is clearly inappropriate. Also, such an action can make unbelievers speak against the faith.”
Here is the standard for the Spirit-filled believer:
| Question for Thorny Heart | Question for Tender Heart |
|---|---|
| “Is this explicitly forbidden?” | “Is this appropriate for a child of God?” |
| “Will I go to hell for this?” | “Will this bring glory to Jesus?” |
| “Can I find a verse that says no?” | “Does this look like Christ?” |
| “What can I get away with?” | “What would Jesus do?” |
The thorny heart searches Scripture for permission to indulge. The fruitful heart searches Scripture for direction on how to please God.
Why Thorns Are More Dangerous Than Stones
Daddy Adeboye’s devotional implies a critical truth: the stony ground believer falls away dramatically under persecution and is clearly lost. The thorny ground believer, however, remains in church, remains active, remains vocal—but remains unfruitful. They are harder to identify and therefore more dangerous to themselves.
Consider the progression:
| Soil Type | Outcome | Visibility |
|---|---|---|
| Wayside | Seed never enters | Easily spotted (no response to word) |
| Stony Ground | Sprouts then dies under persecution | Spotted when trouble comes |
| Thorny Ground | Grows but is choked; remains but bears no fruit | Hardest to spot (looks alive but is useless) |
A fruitless Christian is a contradiction in terms. Jesus said, “Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away” (John 15:2). The thorny heart believer may argue theology, sing in the choir, and give offerings—but if there is no fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23) and no winning of souls (Proverbs 11:30), they are in grave danger.
How to Identify and Remove the Thorns
Based on Daddy Adeboye’s teaching, here is how to examine your heart and uproot the thorns that choke the word:
- Stop Asking Loophole Questions: The moment you find yourself asking, “Is this really a sin?”recognize it as a thorny heart symptom. Instead ask, “Does this help me love God more or resemble Christ more?”
- Apply the Inappropriateness Test: Before any action, ask three questions:
- Is this clearly appropriate for a child of God?
- Would I be embarrassed if Jesus returned right now?
- Could this cause an unbeliever to mock the faith?
- Identify Your Specific Thorns: Be honest. Is it:
- The care of this world (anxiety, overwork, worry about money or reputation)?
- The deceitfulness of riches (greed, envy of the wealthy, trusting in savings)?
- Pleasure-seeking (entertainment addiction, sexual sin, drunkenness, worldliness)?
- Radical Amputation (Matthew 5:29-30): If a specific pleasure is choking your spiritual life, cut it off. Delete the app. End the relationship. Change the route that passes the nightclub. The thorny heart negotiates; the fruitful heart obeys.
- Pray for a Change of Heart: Daddy Adeboye says, “If you are living this way, you need to have a change of heart today.” Not tomorrow. Not next month. Today.
Warning: Lukewarm Is Not Safe; It Is Nauseating
Daddy Adeboye’s chosen memory verse (Revelation 3:15) is the perfect capstone for this message. The Laodicean church said, “I am rich, increased with goods, and have need of nothing” (Revelation 3:17). They were active, prosperous, and comfortable. But Jesus said they were “wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked.”
The thorny heart believer often feels fine. They are not tormented by guilt like a backslider. They are not cold like an atheist. They are warm enough to feel religious but cold enough to remain worldly. Jesus says this mixture makes Him sick. He would rather they be ice-cold (honest rejection) than lukewarm (pretending to love Him while choking on thorns).
Conclusion: Your Prayer for a Thorn-Free Heart
Daddy Adeboye closes with a prayer for fruitfulness. Do not let the thorns win. Today is the day for radical weeding.
Pray this:
“Lord Jesus, I have been thorny ground. I have served You with my lips while my heart clung to worldly pleasures. I have asked loophole questions instead of surrender questions. I have argued about what is ‘technically’ sin instead of fleeing the very appearance of evil. Forgive me. Remove the thorns of worldly care, the deceitfulness of riches, and the love of pleasure. Uproot everything that chokes Your word in my life. I do not want to be lukewarm. I do not want to be fruitful. Set me free from divided loyalties, in Jesus’ name.”
Action Steps:
- The Loophole Audit: Write down the top three questions you have asked or heard others ask about what is “permissible.” For each one, stop asking, “Is it a sin?” and instead ask, “Does it honor Christ?”
- The Appropriateness Test for One Week: For seven days, before any questionable action (entertainment, conversation, financial decision, relationship boundary), ask: “Is this clearly appropriate for a child of God?” If you hesitate, do not do it.
- One Thorn Uprooted: Identify one specific thorn that has been choking your spiritual life (a show you watch, a place you go, a habit you defend). Remove it completely for 30 days. Replace it with prayer or Scripture memorization.
“I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot.” (Revelation 3:15)
Do not let the thorns choke your destiny. Tear them out today and bear fruit for the Master.
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