The Open Heaven 7 December 2025 devotional for today is THE TRUE MEANING OF PROMOTION.
This is a daily devotion written by Pastor E. A. Adeboye, General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG).
OPEN HEAVEN 7 DECEMBER 2025 TODAY DEVOTIONAL
TOPIC: THE TRUE MEANING OF PROMOTION
MEMORISE:
This is a true saying, If a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work.
1 Timothy 3:1
READ: 1 Peter 5:1-4:
1 The elders which are among you I exhort, who am also an elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed:
2 Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind;
3 Neither as being lords over God’s heritage, but being examples to the flock.
4 And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away.
RCCG OPEN HEAVEN 7 DECEMBER 2025 TODAY MESSAGE
When people are promoted in their secular jobs, they can get promoted to positions where they will have less work to do than when they were at lower levels. In the kingdom of God, however, the real meaning of promotion is more work.
I recall many years ago, when I had not yet become the General Overseer of The Redeemed Christian Church of God, I saw the General Superintendent praying all through the night on one occasion, and I was worried. I thought something terrible had happened, so l asked him what the problem was the following morning. He laughed and said that I would understand much later.
Many years later, when I became the General Overseer, I understood because I now pray all night too. As God promotes you in ministry, the work and sacrifices that you need to engage in will increase.
For example, I had never spent Father’s Day with my family until 2020, during the coronavirus induced lockdown. I am also extremely happy whenever I have the opportunity to sleep in my own bed because it now happens very rarely.
The amount of time l have to rest now is less than the amount of time l had to do so when The Redeemed Christian Church of God had 100,000 members.
When God promotes you in ministry, don’t get excited about it in the flesh. Instead, you should be sober because it means that you have to increase your spiritual capacity so you can be a blessing to more souls. You should seek to draw closer to God rather than waste time rejoicing among men.
When a fellow is promoted in God’s Kingdom, it is a call to more and greater responsibilities.
Hence, when you see genuine ministers of God being promoted in ministry, don’t envy them. The higher you go in God’s kingdom, the more the good work you must do increases.
It is also important to know that when God promotes men and gives them greater responsibilities, He also supplies them with a greater measure of grace. You do not have to be scared about greater responsibilities that come with God’s promotion because He will make all grace abound to you as He lifts you higher (2 Corinthians 9:8).
As we read earlier in today’s memory verse, Paul said that desiring a higher office in God’s kingdom is good. Therefore, you should desire for God to keep promoting you as you continue to serve Him.
KEY POINT
Promotion in God’s kingdom is a call to greater responsibilities
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR
Galatians 4-6
HYMN 8: I Need Thee Every Hour
OPEN HEAVEN DEVOTIONAL 7 DECEMBER 2025 COMMENTARY
MEMORISE: 1 Timothy 3:1
“This is a true saying, If a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work.”
The Apostle Paul reframes ambition within the Kingdom. To desire spiritual office is not to crave honor, but to desire a good work—a weighty, holy labor. The desire itself is commendable only when it is understood as a longing for increased service, not elevated status.
BIBLE READING: 1 Peter 5:1-4
This passage outlines the heart posture for God-promoted leaders:
v.1: The Basis of Authority – Being a “partaker of the glory” (a witness to Christ’s suffering and coming glory).
v.2: The Motivation for Service – “Feed the flock… not by constraint, but willingly… not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind.” Leadership is voluntary, eager, and pure in motive.
v.3: The Style of Leadership – “Neither as being lords over God’s heritage, but being ensamples to the flock.” It is influence by example, not coercion by title.
v.4: The Ultimate Reward – “A crown of glory that fadeth not away” from the Chief Shepherd at His appearing.
The Kingdom Paradox of Promotion
Pastor E.A. Adeboye, speaking from the pinnacle of spiritual leadership, dismantles the worldly concept of promotion. In God’s economy, promotion is not a move toward comfort and less work, but a divine summons to greater sacrifice, heavier burdens, and expanded spiritual capacity for the sake of souls.
1. The Nature of Kingdom Promotion: More Work, Not Less
The Secular vs. Kingdom Model:
In the world, promotion often means less manual labor, more delegation, and greater personal comfort. In the Kingdom, as exemplified by Christ (Mark 10:45), promotion means “to serve, and to give his life.” It is an increase in spiritual labor, intercession, responsibility, and sacrifice.
The Personal Testimony of Increase:
Daddy Adeboye’s candid sharing—the all-night prayers, missed family occasions, rare nights in his own bed—illustrates that the growth of the ministry (from 100,000 members to millions) resulted in a decrease of personal rest. The weight of the crown is measured by the weight of the cross it is attached to.
2. The Proper Response to Divine Promotion
Sobriety Over Celebration:
The correct response to God’s lifting is not fleshly excitement or pride, but holy sobriety. It is the realization that you have been entrusted with more, and therefore more will be required (Luke 12:48). It is a call to immediate self-inventory and consecration.
Capacity Building Over Congratulatory Rounds:
Instead of “rejoicing among men,” the promoted believer must urgently “increase your spiritual capacity.” This involves deeper prayer, more intense study of the Word, greater personal holiness, and heightened sensitivity to the Holy Spirit to avoid becoming a bottleneck to God’s flow.
Drawing Closer to God:
Promotion must drive you to the secret place, not the public podium. Your ability to bless more souls is directly proportional to your nearness to the Source. The increased demand must be met with increased supply drawn from intimacy with Christ.
3. The Observer’s Duty: Replacing Envy with Intercession
Do Not Envy Genuine Ministers:
When you see a servant of God elevated, understand you are witnessing a person who has been assigned a heavier yoke and a broader battlefield. Envy is foolish; it desires the visible title but not the invisible toll.
The Law of Kingdom Increase:
“The higher you go… the more the good work you must do increases.” This is an irreversible spiritual law. Each plateau of influence brings a wider scope of souls to care for, more complexities to manage, and fiercer spiritual warfare to engage.
4. The Divine Enabler: Grace for the Assignment
The Proportional Grace Principle:
God is not a taskmaster who assigns burdens without providing strength. With every promotion, He supplies “a greater measure of grace.” As 2 Corinthians 9:8 promises, God makes “all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work.”The grace matches the assignment.
The Assurance Against Fear:
Therefore, the believer should “not be scared about greater responsibilities.” Fear looks at the burden; faith looks at the promised, abounding grace that makes the burden light (Matthew 11:30). The call is proof of the provision.
1. Examine Your Desire:
Why do you want to be used more? Is it for the “good work” (1 Timothy 3:1) or for the good title? Pray for God to purify your ambitions with the fire of His Spirit.
2. Faithfully Manage Your Current “Flock”:
Your faithfulness with the few, the small, and the hidden is God’s qualifying exam for more (Luke 16:10, 19:17). Excel in your current duty with a servant’s heart.
3. Cultivate a Life That Can Bear Weight:
Build your spiritual stamina now. Develop consistent prayer habits, deep knowledge of Scripture, and a track record of sacrificial giving. Strengthen your inner man for the increased load.
4. Pray for Leaders, Don’t Critique Them:
When you see a leader like Pastor Adeboye, understand the unseen price. Commit to covering them in prayer for strength, wisdom, protection, and sustaining grace.
Warning: The Tragedy of Seeking Crowns Without the Cross
Desiring the office without embracing the work leads to disqualification. It produces leaders who are “lords over God’s heritage” (1 Peter 5:3) rather than examples. Such promotion, often sought or given prematurely, ends in personal downfall and scandal that brings reproach to the Church.
Conclusion: Answering the Call to Greater Labor
Pray this:
“Lord Jesus, Chief Shepherd, give me a heart that desires Your work above my comfort. If You choose to promote me, fill me with a sober readiness to bear the cost. Supply the abounding grace for every responsibility, and let my life be an example that draws others to You. Most of all, keep me in the secret place, for apart from You I can do nothing. In Your mighty name, Amen.”
Action Steps:
- Serve in Secret: This week, perform a act of service or intercession for your church or spiritual leader that will be seen by God alone.
- Study the Sacrifice of Leaders: Read about the burdens carried by biblical leaders like Moses (Numbers 11:10-15), Paul (2 Corinthians 11:23-28), and Epaphroditus (Philippians 2:25-30). Let it inform your prayers.
- Audit Your Ambition: Write down your current ministry desires. Beside each, write the “increased work” and “decreased personal freedom” it would likely entail. Pray over this list for alignment with God’s heart.
Remember: In the Kingdom, the higher seat is closer to the basin and the towel. Promotion is not a prize for past work; it is an investment of trust for future service. The crown of authority is forged in the furnace of sacrificial love.
“But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant” (Matthew 23:11). Embrace the true promotion—the call to greater, joyful, grace-filled work.
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