The Open Heavens 5 July 2026 devotional for today is WHAT IS YOUR DEEPEST DESIRE?
This is a daily devotion written by Pastor E. A. Adeboye, General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG).
OPEN HEAVENS 5 JULY 2026 TODAY DEVOTIONAL
TOPIC: WHAT IS YOUR DEEPEST DESIRE?
MEMORISE:
My soul waiteth for the Lord more than they that watch for the morning: I say, more than they that watch for the morning.
Psalm 130:6
READ: John 12:20-21
20 And there were certain Greeks among them that came up to worship at the feast:
21 The same came therefore to Philip, which was of Bethsaida of Galilee, and desired him, saying, Sir, we would see Jesus.
RCCG OPEN HEAVENS 5 JULY 2026 TODAY MESSAGE
One thing have I desired of the LORD, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to enquire in his temple.
Psalm 27:4
In the Scripture above and many other instances in the Bible, David expressed his desire to dwell in God’s presence. In Psalm 63:1-2, he expressed his yearning to seek God early and see His power and glory. In verse 6 of the same chapter, he said that he remembered God upon his bed and meditated on Him in the night watches. Also, in today’s memory verse, he said that his soul waited for the Lord more than those who watch for the morning.
Watchmen always look forward to daybreak when they would be free to rest and relax, and David likened his intense desire for God to their longing for daybreak.
Beloved, what or whom are you seeking? In today’s Bible reading, certain Greeks went to worship at the feast in Jerusalem, and when they saw Philip, they said, “Sir, we would see Jesus.” If God gives you a blank cheque today, what will you ask for?
Will you ask for things that will perish with time, or will you ask to see Jesus? People who seek God only for material things will never truly be satisfied because they will ultimately fade away. However, those who genuinely seek God and His Kingdom always find Him (Jeremiah 29:13) and become truly satisfied, as every other thing they need is added to them (Matthew 6:33)
God will always draw near to those who draw near to Him (James 4:8); He showed this clearly in His relationship with David. Do you want God to love you in a special way? Do you want His presence with you at all times? Then your deepest desire should be to always please him (1 Thessalonians 4:1) and to continually grow in your knowledge of Him (Philippians 3:10).
Child of God, what is your deepest heart cry? What keeps you awake at night? Do you regularly think of how to amass material things for yourself or how to know God more? Whatever you are hungry and thirsty for will determine what you will get, and as Matthew 5:6 says, “Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.” I pray that you will truly seek God’s face and experience the beauty of His holiness, in Jesus’ name.
REFLECTION:
What is your deepest heart cry: material things or Jesus?
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR
Proverbs 18-20
Open Heavens HYMN 8: I Need Thee Every Hour
OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL 5 JULY 2026 COMMENTARY
MEMORISE: Psalm 130:6
“My soul waiteth for the Lord more than they that watch for the morning: I say, more than they that watch for the morning.”
This verse captures the intensity of spiritual longing. Daddy Adeboye anchors today’s devotional on this text because it compares the believer’s desire for God to the watchman’s desperate anticipation of daybreak.
BIBLE READING: John 12:20-21
This passage records a brief but profound encounter. Certain Greeks had come to Jerusalem to worship at the feast. They approached Philip with a simple request: “Sir, we would see Jesus.” No other request. No list of needs. No demands for miracles or blessings. Just the desire to see Jesus.
The Heart of David: One Thing Have I Desired
1. David’s Single-Minded Pursuit (Psalm 27:4)
“In the Scripture above and many other instances in the Bible, David expressed his desire to dwell in God’s presence. In Psalm 63:1-2, he expressed his yearning to seek God early and see His power and glory.”
Psalm 27:4 – “One thing have I desired of the LORD, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to enquire in his temple.”
Notice the singularity: “One thing have I desired.” David was not distracted by a thousand competing ambitions. He had one consuming passion: to dwell in God’s presence, to behold God’s beauty, to inquire in God’s temple.
| What David Desired | What He Did Not Prioritize |
|---|---|
| To dwell in God’s house | Palaces, thrones, earthly security |
| To behold God’s beauty | Gold, silver, material riches |
| To inquire in God’s temple | Human wisdom, political alliances |
| God’s presence | God’s presents (blessings, gifts, prosperity) |
“In verse 6 of the same chapter, he said that he remembered God upon his bed and meditated on Him in the night watches. Also, in today’s memory verse, he said that his soul waited for the Lord more than those who watch for the morning.”
Psalm 63:6 – “When I remember thee upon my bed, and meditate on thee in the night watches.”
David did not only seek God when he was in trouble. He did not only pray when he needed something. He remembered God upon his bed—in the quiet hours, in the darkness, when no one was watching. His desire for God was not performance; it was passion.
2. The Watchman’s Longing (Psalm 130:6)
“Watchmen always look forward to daybreak when they would be free to rest and relax, and David likened his intense desire for God to their longing for daybreak.”
| The Watchman’s Longing | David’s Longing for God |
|---|---|
| Desperate for the night to end | Desperate for more of God’s presence |
| Strains his eyes toward the horizon | Strains his soul toward the Lord |
| Cannot rest until dawn comes | Cannot rest until he encounters God |
| Morning is his only hope | God is his only hope |
“More than they that watch for the morning” — the repetition emphasizes intensity. David does not just say it once; he says it twice: “I say, more than they that watch for the morning.” His desire for God exceeds every other longing.
The Greeks’ Request: “We Would See Jesus”
“In today’s Bible reading, certain Greeks went to worship at the feast in Jerusalem, and when they saw Philip, they said, ‘Sir, we would see Jesus.’”
Consider what these Greeks did NOT ask for:
| What They Did Not Ask | What They Asked |
|---|---|
| Healing for a sick relative | “We would see Jesus” |
| Financial breakthrough | “We would see Jesus” |
| Deliverance from oppression | “We would see Jesus” |
| Political favor or protection | “We would see Jesus” |
| A miracle, a sign, a wonder | “We would see Jesus” |
They had heard about Jesus. They had traveled to the feast. They could have asked for anything. But their request was simple, direct, and profound: “Sir, we would see Jesus.”
“If God gives you a blank cheque today, what will you ask for? Will you ask for things that will perish with time, or will you ask to see Jesus?”
| The Blank Cheque Test | What Your Answer Reveals |
|---|---|
| If you ask for money, houses, cars | You value perishable things |
| If you ask for healing, deliverance, breakthrough | You value temporary relief |
| If you ask for ministry success, fame, influence | You value earthly recognition |
| If you ask for more of God, to see Jesus, to know Him | You value the eternal |
“People who seek God only for material things will never truly be satisfied because they will ultimately fade away. However, those who genuinely seek God and His Kingdom always find Him (Jeremiah 29:13) and become truly satisfied, as every other thing they need is added to them (Matthew 6:33).”
| Seek God Only for What He Gives | Seek God for Who He Is |
|---|---|
| Never truly satisfied | Truly satisfied |
| The things they pursue fade away | God never fades; He is eternal |
| They may get things but miss the Giver | They get the Giver, and things are added |
God’s Response to Those Who Seek Him
1. He Draws Near to Those Who Draw Near (James 4:8)
“God will always draw near to those who draw near to Him (James 4:8); He showed this clearly in His relationship with David.”
| If You Draw Near to God | God’s Response |
|---|---|
| You take a step toward Him | He takes a step toward you |
| You seek His face | He reveals Himself to you |
| You desire His presence | He dwells with you |
| You pursue Him | He is found by you (Jeremiah 29:13) |
David was not perfect. He sinned grievously. But his heart was always oriented toward God. He sought God early, meditated on Him at night, waited for Him more than watchmen wait for morning. And God responded by calling David “a man after mine own heart” (Acts 13:22).
2. He Gives Himself to the Hungry (Matthew 5:6)
“Whatever you are hungry and thirsty for will determine what you will get, and as Matthew 5:6 says, ‘Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.’”
| What You Hunger For | What You Will Receive |
|---|---|
| Righteousness, God’s presence, to see Jesus | Filled to overflowing |
| Money, possessions, worldly success | You may get them, but you will not be filled |
| Fame, recognition, power | Empty, dissatisfied, always wanting more |
“Do you want God to love you in a special way? Do you want His presence with you at all times? Then your deepest desire should be to always please him (1 Thessalonians 4:1) and to continually grow in your knowledge of Him (Philippians 3:10).”
1 Thessalonians 4:1 – “Furthermore then we beseech you, brethren, and exhort you by the Lord Jesus, that as ye have received of us how ye ought to walk and to please God, so ye would abound more and more.”
Philippians 3:10 – “That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death.”
Paul’s deepest desire was not for comfort, safety, or material blessing. It was to know Christ. To know Him in the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings. That is the heart of one who has learned to say, “We would see Jesus.”
Examining Your Deepest Heart Cry
Daddy Adeboye asks penetrating questions:
“Child of God, what is your deepest heart cry? What keeps you awake at night? Do you regularly think of how to amass material things for yourself or how to know God more?”
| Questions to Ask Yourself | What Your Answers Reveal |
|---|---|
| What do you think about when you cannot sleep? | Your deepest obsession |
| What would you ask for if God gave you a blank cheque? | Your true priority |
| What are you hungry and thirsty for? | What you will be filled with |
| What keeps you seeking, praying, pursuing? | The true desire of your heart |
“I pray that you will truly seek God’s face and experience the beauty of His holiness, in Jesus’ name.”
How to Cultivate a Heart That Seeks God Above All (Practical Steps)
Based on Daddy Adeboye’s teaching and the examples of David and the Greeks, here is how to make “seeing Jesus” your deepest desire:
1. Conduct a Blank Cheque Test
Today, imagine God says to you, “Ask what you will, and I will give it to you.” Write down your immediate answer. Then ask yourself: Does this request reveal a heart that seeks God or merely His gifts? If your answer is not “more of You, Lord,” repent and redirect your desire.
2. Practice the Discipline of Waiting for the Lord
David said, “My soul waiteth for the Lord.” Waiting is not passivity; it is active expectation. Set aside time each day to simply be in God’s presence—not asking, not listing needs, not rushing. Wait. Long. Watch.
| Instead of… | Practice… |
|---|---|
| Rushing through prayer | Lingering in God’s presence |
| Asking for many things | Seeking His face above all |
| Focusing on needs | Focusing on Him |
| Checking the clock | Waiting like a watchman for morning |
3. Memorize and Meditate on Psalm 27:4
Make David’s “one thing” your one thing. Write it on an index card. Recite it daily: “One thing have I desired of the LORD, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to enquire in his temple.”
4. Let “We Would See Jesus” Be Your Prayer
When you wake, pray: “Lord, today, I would see Jesus.” When you read Scripture, read to see Jesus. When you worship, worship to encounter Jesus. When you pray, pray to know Jesus. Make seeing Him your singular pursuit.
5. Evaluate What Keeps You Awake
If you lie awake at night worrying about money, planning your career, or replaying offenses, your heart is not set on God. Redirect those sleepless hours to prayer and meditation on God. Let what keeps you awake be the longing for His presence.
Warning: You Can Seek God’s Gifts and Miss God Himself
Daddy Adeboye’s devotional carries a sobering warning: it is possible to be religious, to pray, to attend church, to even serve in ministry—all while seeking God’s hand rather than His face.
| Seeking God’s Hand | Seeking God’s Face |
|---|---|
| Focused on what God gives | Focused on who God is |
| Prayers are shopping lists | Prayers are encounters |
| Satisfaction depends on receiving | Satisfaction is found in Him alone |
| When gifts stop, seeking stops | Even in drought, the seeker remains |
| May receive things but miss the Giver | Receives the Giver, and all things with Him |
Do not be satisfied with blessings. Do not settle for miracles. Do not trade the Presence for the presents. Let your deepest heart cry be: “Sir, we would see Jesus.”
Conclusion: Your Prayer to See Jesus
Daddy Adeboye closes with a prayer that you will truly seek God’s face and experience the beauty of His holiness. Not His hand. Not His gifts. His face.
Pray this:
“Lord Jesus, I confess that too often I have sought Your hand rather than Your face. I have asked for blessings, miracles, and provision—but I have not asked simply to see You. Forgive me for treating You like a vending machine rather than the Lover of my soul. Today, I echo the cry of David: ‘One thing have I desired—to dwell in Your house, to behold Your beauty, to inquire in Your temple.’ I echo the request of the Greeks: ‘Sir, we would see Jesus.’ Give me a hunger and thirst for righteousness that cannot be satisfied with anything less than You. Let my soul wait for You more than the watchman waits for morning. Whether You give me anything else or not, give me Yourself. You are my deepest heart cry. You are my one thing. In Jesus’ mighty name.”
Action Steps:
- The Blank Cheque Test: Take a sheet of paper. Write at the top: “If God gave me a blank cheque today, I would ask for…” Write your honest answer. Then examine it. If Jesus is not at the top of the list, tear up the paper, repent, and rewrite it.
- The Night Watch Practice: For the next seven nights, before you sleep, spend five minutes in silence, saying to the Lord: “My soul waits for You more than watchmen wait for morning.” Let this prayer be the last thing on your lips.
- The “We Would See Jesus” Prayer: Every morning this week, pray: “Lord, I don’t know what else this day holds, but I know what I want: I want to see Jesus. Open my eyes to see Him in Scripture, in worship, in prayer, in the faces of Your people. Sir, I would see Jesus.”
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