The Open Heaven 9 April 2025 devotional for today is NO MORE LABOURING 1. The author of this daily devotion is Pastor E. A. Adeboye, General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG).
OPEN HEAVEN 9 APRIL 2025 TODAY DEVOTIONAL
TOPIC: NO MORE LABOURING I
MEMORISE
Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
Matthew 11:28
READ: Luke 5:1-7
And it came to pass, that, as the people pressed upon him to hear the word of God, he stood by the lake of Gennesaret,
2 And saw two ships standing by the lake: but the fishermen were gone out of them, and were washing their nets.
3 And he entered into one of the ships, which was Simon’s, and prayed him that he would thrust out a little from the land. And he sat down, and taught the people out of the ship.
4 Now when he had left speaking, he said unto Simon, Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught.
5 And Simon answering said unto him, Master, we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing: nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net.
6 And when they had this done, they inclosed a great multitude of fishes: and their net brake.
7 And they beckoned unto their partners, which were in the other ship, that they should come and help them. And they came, and filled both the ships, so that they began to sink.
RCCG OPEN HEAVEN 9 APRIL 2025 TODAY MESSAGE
In 1963, while I was a teacher at Ondo Boys’ High School in South-West Nigeria, I was teaching 35 lesson periods every week.
Another tutor, who had more experience and qualifications than me, was teaching just 21 lesson periods every week. He was earning four times more than I was earning and was still grumbling about the workload. I went to him and said, “Sir, you are teaching 21 lesson periods while l am teaching 35, yet you are earning four times what l am earning, and you are complaining.” He drew me close, patted me, and said, “My boy, you don’t understand. I’m being paid for what I have already done. I’m being paid for what is in my brain.” While I was labouring and earning peanuts, the other teacher wasn’t working as hard, yet he was earning more.
There is a difference between working diligently and labouring. A manual labourer has to work very hard to get little pay. You can’t call a manager a labourer; both of them go to their workplaces in the morning, but one goes to work, and the other goes to labour.
Even though a manager arrives at the office very early every day and works hard, he or she gets paid something worthwhile for his or her efforts. In Genesis 2:15, God gave Adam a garden to tend. Some Bible scholars have described the Garden of Eden to be as big as Lagos, Nigeria. To ask one man to keep a garden of that size requires a lot of work.
However, Adam was working, not labouring. After he fell into sin, he began to labour (Genesis 3:17-19), such that when he worked, he sweated – it wasn’t recorded that he sweated before this time. Additionally, after labouring and sweating, the ground yielded thorns and thistles.
In Luke 5:5, Peter toiled all night and caught nothing – that is labouring. Even though he worked hard all night, he had nothing to show for it. However, Peter’s labouring days ended when Jesus came into his life. If you have been labouring and you want your labouring days to come to an end, rebuild your connection with God, and He will put an end to fruitless labours in your life forever.
Beloved, if for whatever reason, you are experiencing fruitless labour even though you have surrendered your life to Christ and are living according to His will, I decree that the Lord will step into your situation today and put an end to labouring in your life, in Jesus’ name.
KEY POINT:
An active connection with God will ensure that you do not experience fruitless labour.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
1 Kings 1-2
HYMN 27: WHAT A FRIEND WE HAVE IN JESUS
OPEN HEAVEN DEVOTIONAL 9 APRIL 2025 COMMENTARY
1. The Difference Between Work and Labor
Open Heaven devotional for today begins by contrasting two biblical concepts:
- Work (Divine Assignment):
- Adam in Eden (Genesis 2:15): Purposeful, joyful stewardship without sweat.
- The manager: Rewarded for wisdom and skill, not just effort.
- Labor (Fruitless Toil):
- Post-Fall Adam (Genesis 3:17-19): Sweaty, frustrating struggle with thorns.
- Peter’s fishing (Luke 5:5): All-night effort yielded nothing.
Key Insight:
- Sin broke humanity’s productive covenant with God, replacing work with labor.
- Jesus restores us to Edenic productivity (John 15:5 – “Without Me, you can do nothing”).
Application:
✔ Audit your life: Are you working (in God’s flow) or laboring (in human strain)?
2. The Teacher’s Parable: Wisdom Over Sweat
Pastor Adeboye’s school experience illustrates:
- The laborer (Adeboye): 35 lessons/week → Peanuts.
- The “worker” (Senior teacher): 21 lessons/week → 4x pay for “what’s in his brain.”
Spiritual Parallel:
- Laborers rely on human effort (Galatians 3:3).
- Workers operate by divine wisdom (James 1:5) and covenant grace.
Warning:
- Religious activity ≠ Kingdom productivity (Matthew 7:22-23).
Prayer:
“Lord, transition me from laboring to working in Your wisdom!”
3. Jesus’ Intervention: Ending Fruitless Labor
Peter’s story (Luke 5:1-7) reveals:
- The Problem: Self-reliance (“we toiled all night“) → Empty nets.
- The Solution: Obedience to Christ’s word (“let down your nets“) → Overflow.
- The Result: Divine partnership (“from now on you will catch men” – v. 10).
Modern Examples:
- Business owners seeing no profit despite hard work.
- Ministers with crowded altars but few conversions.
Action Step:
✔ Identify one area of “empty nets.” Ask Jesus for His strategy today.
4. The Root of Fruitless Labor
Today’s devotional identifies three causes of unproductive toil:
| Cause | Solution | Scripture |
|---|---|---|
| Disconnection from God | Rebuild prayer life | John 15:4-5 |
| Operating in the flesh | Lean on the Spirit | Zechariah 4:6 |
| Unhealed sin wounds | Repent and receive grace | James 5:16 |
Prophetic Promise:
- “Your labor ends where your obedience to God’s voice begins!”
5. Stepping Into Divine Productivity
The devotional for today closes with practical steps to cease laboring:
- Surrender Your Methods to Christ
- Like Peter, obey even when Jesus’ instructions seem illogical (Luke 5:5).
- Prioritize Rest Over Striving
- Enter God’s Sabbath rest (Hebrews 4:9-10) – work from peace, not panic.
- Claim Covenant Promises
- Declare: “The blessing of the Lord makes rich without toil” (Proverbs 10:22).
Prayer of Release:
“Father, I exchange my labor for Your rest. Teach me to work with You, not for You. End every cycle of fruitless effort in my life, in Jesus’ name!”
Final Thought: Your Edenic Restoration
Adam’s curse of thorns (Genesis 3:18) was reversed by Christ’s crown of thorns (John 19:5). Now:
- You are restored to joyful productivity (Isaiah 61:7).
- Your work will bear eternal fruit (1 Corinthians 15:58).
“Stop sweating over empty nets—let Jesus fill them beyond measure!”
Action Steps:
- Meditate on Matthew 11:28-30 – Jesus’ yoke is easy, His burden light.
- Replace one hour of “labor” (e.g., anxious planning) with worship.
- Testify when God transforms your toil into triumph.
“In Christ, your work becomes worship, and your productivity becomes a testimony!”
Read RCCG Open Heaven Devotional for Tomorrow
Download Open Heaven 9 April 2025 Devotional PDF
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