Category: Open Heaven Devotional

The Open Heaven 23 September 2024 devotional for today is HELPMEET INDEED? 1.

This is a daily devotion written by Pastor E. A. Adeboye, General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG).

• Read: RCCG Open Heaven 22 September 2024 Devotional

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OPEN HEAVEN 23 SEPTEMBER 2024 TODAY DEVOTIONAL

TOPIC: HELPMEET INDEED? 1

MEMORISE

And the Lord God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him.

Genesis 2:18

READ: Genesis 2:18-25:

¹⁸ And the Lord God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him.

¹⁹ And out of the ground the Lord God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air; and brought them unto Adam to see what he would call them: and whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that was the name thereof.

²⁰ And Adam gave names to all cattle, and to the fowl of the air, and to every beast of the field; but for Adam there was not found an help meet for him.

²¹ And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof;

²² And the rib, which the Lord God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man.

²³ And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.

²⁴ Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.

²⁵ And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.

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RCCG OPEN HEAVEN 23 SEPTEMBER 2024 TODAY MESSAGE

When God instituted marriage in Genesis 2, He made the woman to be the helpmeet for the man.

In other words, the woman is to help the man in doing what God has called him to do. However, for one reason or the other, some women are not real helpmeets to their husbands, and this causes problems in their homes.

First, a woman cannot help her husband beyond her capacity to help. For example, if a husband is a businessman that earns millions, he should raise his wife to the level where she earns hundreds of thousands at least. At that level, she will probably understand his business more and help him better.

However, if she is earning below that, when there is a need for her to help, she may be unable to do so significantly, even though she is willing to help.

As a pastor, if you can pray for six hours at a stretch, train your wife to be able to pray for at least four hours. This way, the day you need prayers, she can stand in the gap for you at a reasonable level.

If you cannot send your wife to preach on your behalf at a meeting that you are unable to attend, you have not been training her, and she has not developed what it takes to be your helpmeet (Ecclesiastes 4:9-10).

Your helpmeet is supposed to be there to lift you up when you are down. However, the strength of your helpmeet will determine how well they can lift you in your down seasons.

As a husband, if something terrible happens and you fall, you will fall to the level of your wife. She can only catch you at the level at which she is standing financially, spiritually or otherwise.

Therefore, if you don’t lift her to your level or at least close to your level, your fall will be great in such seasons because you will only be able to depend on her resources to stay afloat until you start rising again. As a husband, you should endeavour to empower your wife to become a helpmeet to you indeed.

ACTION POINT

If you are a husband, start teaching your wife relevant things that will help her grow to a level where she can be a helpmeet to you indeed.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR

Nahum 1-3

HYMN 8: I Need Thee Every Hour

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The Open Heaven 22 September 2024 devotional for today is TRUE LOVE.

This is a daily devotion written by Pastor E. A. Adeboye, General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG).

• Read: RCCG Open Heaven 21 September 2024 Devotional

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OPEN HEAVEN 22 SEPTEMBER 2024 TODAY DEVOTIONAL

TOPIC: TRUE LOVE

MEMORISE

Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honour unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered.

1 Peter 3:7

READ: 1 Corinthians 13:4-8:

⁴ Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,

⁵ Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;

⁶ Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;

⁷ Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.

⁸ Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.

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RCCG OPEN HEAVEN 22 SEPTEMBER 2024 TODAY MESSAGE

The Bible says that husbands are to love their wives as Christ loved the church (Ephesians 5:25). This analogy alone is enough to tell us straightaway that love is not an emotion or feeling, but a decision to consistently act in the best interest of your spouse.

In other words, the best interest of your spouse should become a priority to you.

In Luke 22:42, Jesus did not feel like dying for the church. He tried to convince God to let the impending suffering and death pass over Him.

He prayed so hard that His sweat was like blood, but what had to be done, had to be done. He went to the cross, suffered shame, pain, and death for the ones He loved.

That is what husbands are to do for their wives; love them as Christ loves the church and gave Himself for her. Husband, can you do this for your wife?

When I see Christian husbands buying new clothes and shoes for themselves while their wives wear old, worn out clothes, I wonder if they even read their Bibles at all. Worse still are the men who beat their wives.

As a husband, if you love your wife, you will take good care of her and put her interests above yours. Money will be too small to sacrifice to make her happy. In Nigeria, men of the Igbo tribe are renowned for truly caring for their wives. In Igbo land, any man that beats his wife or does not take care of her is called an Efulefu.

An Efulefu is someone who is way below useless, empty, and who has nothing good to offer. This is a generally held belief among people who are not all believers, how much more Christians who have been directed by God to take care of their wives and families (1 Timothy 5:8).

So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself.

Ephesians 5:28

The Scripture above instructs husbands to love their wives as they love their own bodies. Just as they eat good food, put on good clothes, and do not allow any harm to come to their bodies, they are to treat their wives the same way.

As a husband, you should use the best of your resources, words, and actions to show your wife that you love her. When you do this, you are a good husband indeed, and one advantage that a good husband has, according to today’s memory verse, is that God hears his prayers.

REFLECTION

As a husband, are you taking good care of your wife? Can anyone see her and tell that you truly love her?

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR

Micah 5-7

HYMN 13: Jesus Loves, This I know

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The Open Heaven 21 September 2024 devotional for today is SUBMISSION vs COOPERATION.

This is a daily devotion written by Pastor E. A. Adeboye, General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG).

• Read: RCCG Open Heaven 20 September 2024 Devotional

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OPEN HEAVEN 21 SEPTEMBER 2024 TODAY DEVOTIONAL

TOPIC: SUBMISSION vs COOPERATION

MEMORISE

For after this manner in the old time the holy women also, who trusted in God, adorned themselves, being in subjection unto their own husbands:

1 Peter 3:5

READ: Ephesians 5:22-33:

²² Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord.
²³ For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body.
²⁴ Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing.

²⁵ Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;
²⁶ That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,
²⁷ That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.
²⁸ So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself.

²⁹ For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church:
³⁰ For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones.
³¹ For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh.
³² This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church.³³ Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife see that she reverence her husband.

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RCCG OPEN HEAVEN 21 SEPTEMBER 2024 TODAY MESSAGE

Marriage is a beautiful gift from God; it is designed to bring joy and fulfilment to both partners. Like every other gift from God, it comes with a manual – the word of God.

In today’s Bible reading, there is a detailed description of how a husband and wife should relate with each other. Husbands are to love their wives as Christ loves the church, while wives are to submit to their husbands.

Many women don’t understand what submission really means. They say they are submissive, whereas they are only cooperative. Cooperation is agreeing with your husband because you want the same things.

Submission, however, is complying with his wish even when you don’t agree. Many women find it difficult to submit to their husbands because the society talks about gender equality.

However, this is not what the Bible says about marriage.

Submission does not mean slavery or servitude, rather, it is a voluntary act of respect and obedience from a wife to her husband as the head of the home.

When you obey your boss in the office, it is not because you are a slave, it is because there is a hierarchy that must be followed for things to go smoothly in the office. An English proverb says that two captains cannot sail a ship.

As a wife, your husband is the captain of your marriage-ship; submitting to him is a key ingredient in ensuring that you have a blissful marriage.

Years ago, I used to preach regularly at a university, and a woman would usually come to me complaining about her husband’s stubbornness and asking me to pray the stubbornness away.

After a while, I decided I wasn’t going to pray anymore. I told her, “When you get home, place his food on the dining table, call him your head, and ask him to come and eat.

When he sits at the table, give him a bowl of water, kneel and let him wash his hands in it.” She said, “No way! He is a professor just like I am. We are the same.” I replied that if she wanted my help, she should take my advice.

She decided to do it, and at first, her husband wondered if she had poisoned the food. She told him that her pastor taught her what she was doing, and suddenly, the stubborn husband became very soft. He followed her to the next service and became born again. Their marriage blossomed thereafter.

KEY POINT

Submission is not slavery; it is a sign of wisdom for a successful marriage.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR

Micah 1-4

HYMN 30: WHEN WE WALK WITH THE LORD

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The Open Heaven 20 September 2024 devotional for today is ROMANCE IS NOT UNGODLY.

This is a daily devotion written by Pastor E. A. Adeboye, General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG).

• Read: RCCG Open Heaven 19 September 2024 Devotional

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OPEN HEAVEN 20 SEPTEMBER 2024 TODAY DEVOTIONAL

TOPIC: ROMANCE IS NOT UNGODLY

MEMORISE

Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth: for thy love is better than wine.

Song of Solomon 1:2

READ: Song of Solomon 2:1-4:

I am the rose of Sharon, and the lily of the valleys.
² As the lily among thorns, so is my love among the daughters.
³ As the apple tree among the trees of the wood, so is my beloved among the sons. I sat down under his shadow with great delight, and his fruit was sweet to my taste.
⁴ He brought me to the banqueting house, and his banner over me was love.

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RCCG OPEN HEAVEN 20 SEPTEMBER 2024 TODAY MESSAGE

The fact that you are a Christian does not in any way take romance out of your marriage. Marriage is the only institution where romance and intimacy is allowed between a man and a woman. Some pastors hardly go on dates with their spouses because they consider such a romantic activity as a distraction from their focus on spiritual matters.

Some of them don’t even play with their spouses anymore. Beloved, the anointing does not reduce the need for romance in marriage.

Isaac was an anointed man of God and a successful businessman, yet in Genesis 26:8, the Bible says he was being romantic with his wife:

And it came to pass, when he had been there a long time, that Abimelech king of the Philistines looked out at a window, and saw, and, behold, Isaac was sporting with Rebekah his wife.

Don’t become too rigid in your marriage; don’t have more fun elsewhere without your spouse.

Make the times that you and your spouse spend together so much fun that you are always looking forward to seeing each other again. If you are married, remember how you used to talk for long hours with your spouse before you got married and had children; revive that relationship again.

Your spouse is still the same fellow you were very fond of, and the things you loved in him or her are still there. Don’t let all the cares of this life distract you from the gems in your spouse.

Once in a while, compose a poem for your spouse and read it to him or her in a romantic setting.

Spice things up with pleasant surprises every now and then. Write a note and put it in his or her bag so that when they get to the office and open their bag, they will see the note and smile. Have a pet name that you call each other behind closed doors.

Up until today, there is a pet name my wife calls me when we are alone. I equally have a pet name that I call her, and every time I call her by that name, she cannot but smile at me lovingly.

When we are alone, we are lovers, not Daddy G.O and Mummy G.O.

Your marriage can be like heaven on earth if you and your spouse are deliberate about remaining the lovebirds that you were when you first got married. Don’t let the romance die.

KEY POINT

One of the ways to ensure that your marriage remains like heaven on earth is to keep the romance alive.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR

Jonah 1-4

HYMN 6: I AM SO GLAD THAT OUR FATHER IN HEAV’N

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The Open Heaven 19 September 2024 devotional for today is WAITING ON THE LORD.

This is a daily devotion written by Pastor E. A. Adeboye, General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG).

• Read: RCCG Open Heaven 18 September 2024 Devotional

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OPEN HEAVEN 19 SEPTEMBER 2024 TODAY DEVOTIONAL

TOPIC: WAITING ON THE LORD

MEMORISE

But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.

Isaiah 40:31

READ: Psalms 27:13-14:

¹³ I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.
¹⁴ Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord.

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RCCG OPEN HEAVEN 19 SEPTEMBER 2024 TODAY MESSAGE

Everyone at one time or the other will be in a waiting season. Your waiting season is a period when you are waiting for something that you desire to come to you.

A secondary school student is usually waiting earnestly for when he or she will get into the university, the university student is waiting to graduate, the graduate is waiting to get a job, the single person is waiting to get married, the married person is waiting to have children, and parents are waiting for the different stages of their children’s life. The waiting goes on for different things at different times.

Waiting is inevitable for everyone, however, what you do while waiting is more important than what you are waiting for itself. When people lose their patience with God and decide to do things outside His will to stop their waiting season, they often regret it.

In 1 Samuel 13:8-14, Saul got tired of waiting for Samuel’s arrival to perform a sacrifice, so he decided to perform the sacrifice himself, which was against the will of God. That action resulted in him losing his throne.

In Genesis 16:1-3, Sarah got tired of waiting on God for a child, so she gave Hagar to Abraham as a wife. She regretted it after Hagar conceived (Genesis 16:4), and today, that action has resulted in great persecution for her descendants.

Finding alternatives to God in order to shorten a waiting season always ends in regrets. My wife and I were praying for a woman to conceive. At some point, she got tired of waiting on God and went to see a herbalist.

She got pregnant quite alright, but the pregnancy that should last for only nine months remained for years. The last time I heard about her, she still hadn’t given birth to the baby. Every alternative to God gives permission to the devil to oppress you.

The reason we have many internet fraudsters today is that many young people don’t want to go through the correct process of making money.

What they don’t know is that although they could get a lot of money quickly, what they will have to give in exchange for that money is their very soul.

Matthew 16:26 says that this is foolish because there is only loss in a fellow gaining the whole world and losing his or her soul in the process.

Don’t be foolish, wait on God, and He will surely come through for you.

KEY POINT

Every alternative to God gives permission to the devil to oppress a believer.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR

Ezekiel 47-48

HYMN 21: STANDING ON THE PROMISES OF CHRIST MY KING

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The Open Heaven 18 September 2024 devotional for today is TRUE PROPHECIES.

This is a daily devotion written by Pastor E. A. Adeboye, General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG).

• Read: RCCG Open Heaven 17 September 2024 Devotional

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OPEN HEAVEN 18 SEPTEMBER 2024 TODAY DEVOTIONAL

TOPIC: TRUE PROPHECIES

MEMORISE

Thus saith the Lord God; Woe unto the foolish prophets, that follow their own spirit, and have seen nothing!

Ezekiel 13:3

READ: Ezekiel 13:1-6:

And the word of the Lord came unto me, saying,
² Son of man, prophesy against the prophets of Israel that prophesy, and say thou unto them that prophesy out of their own hearts, Hear ye the word of the Lord;
³ Thus saith the Lord God; Woe unto the foolish prophets, that follow their own spirit, and have seen nothing!
⁴ O Israel, thy prophets are like the foxes in the deserts.
⁵ Ye have not gone up into the gaps, neither made up the hedge for the house of Israel to stand in the battle in the day of the Lord.⁶ They have seen vanity and lying divination, saying, The Lord saith: and the Lord hath not sent them: and they have made others to hope that they would confirm the word.

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RCCG OPEN HEAVEN 18 SEPTEMBER 2024 TODAY MESSAGE

True prophecies come from the mind of God. A prophet hears from God and relays the message to the people. Whenever a prophecy is given based on feelings, that prophecy is false, and the Bible describes people who do this as fools (Ezekiel 13:3).

A true prophecy is an echo of what God has said.

When I was younger in ministry, I recall prophesying that a particular airline will never suffer loss because I was excited over their services to the church. I prophesied based on my feelings without hearing what God had to say.

Not long after, the airline suffered a plane crash. I should have just prayed for them and blessed them for their benevolence, rather than giving a prophecy in my excitement. I learnt my lesson from that – if God has not spoken, I do not prophesy.

Beloved, don’t be too much in a hurry to say ‘God said’ when God didn’t say anything. Don’t allow pride to push you to prophesy; prophesy only according to the will of God. Push pride aside so that you can hear God clearly.

Long before the Nigerian elections in 2023, people were agitated as to who will become the next president. They put pressure on me to tell them what the outcome of the elections will be. Even with all that pressure, I made sure not to say anything I had not heard God say because I knew that it would be a lie.

I told them a few weeks before the election, “God has still not spoken. Until God speaks, I won’t say anything.” You must become comfortable with keeping quiet when God is quiet. If you are truly His mouthpiece, when His mouth is shut, yours will be also.

Prophecy must also be in line with the word of God.

If a prophecy does not echo the word of God in the Scriptures, it is false. A man came to me and said,

“I heard that you are a prophet, and anything you say comes to pass. Can you tell me my future?” | responded, “That is easy. Are you born again?” He said, “No”. “Then, your future will be terrible,” I responded. He asked, “How do you know? You’ve not even asked for my name.” I told him, “Isaiah 3:11 says, ‘Woe unto the wicked.’” Anyone who has not accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour is condemned already (John 3:17-18).

A true prophecy comes from God and always aligns with His word in the Scriptures.

KEY POINT

Any prophecy that does not echo God’s word is fake. Let it not come out of your mouth.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR

Amos 5-9

HYMN 1: ALL HAIL THE POWER OF JESUS’ NAME

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The Open Heaven 17 September 2024 devotional for today is FRAIL IN GOD’S HANDS.

This is a daily devotion written by Pastor E. A. Adeboye, General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG).

• Read: RCCG Open Heaven 16 September 2024 Devotional

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OPEN HEAVEN 17 SEPTEMBER 2024 TODAY DEVOTIONAL

TOPIC: FRAIL IN GOD’S HANDS

MEMORISE

My heart panteth, my strength faileth me: as for the light of mine eyes, it also is gone from me.

Psalms 38:10

READ: Psalms 39:4-7:

⁴ Lord, make me to know mine end, and the measure of my days, what it is: that I may know how frail I am.

⁵ Behold, thou hast made my days as an handbreadth; and mine age is as nothing before thee: verily every man at his best state is altogether vanity. Selah.

⁶ Surely every man walketh in a vain shew: surely they are disquieted in vain: he heapeth up riches, and knoweth not who shall gather them.⁷ And now, Lord, what wait I for? my hope is in thee.

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RCCG OPEN HEAVEN 17 SEPTEMBER 2024 TODAY MESSAGE

In today’s Bible text, David asked God to make him know how frail he really was. This was a man who witnessed how his highly-exalted king, King Saul, suddenly started acting like a mad man on several occasions and needed music from a harp to calm him down (1 Samuel 16:23).

This was a man who used an ordinary stone to bring down a giant that had terrorised his country for 40 days and nights

(1 Samuel 17). As humans, we have the tendency to believe that we are strong and that we are in control, whereas, God is the One that upholds us (Isaiah 41:8-10).

In Daniel 4:30, Nebuchadnezzar was boasting of his really great achievements, but within that same hour, he was on all fours, eating grass with the beasts of the field (Daniel 4:31-33).

He was indeed a great king, but God humbled him in an instant. No matter how great and powerful a fellow is, God can humble him or her in the twinkling of an eye. King Herod thought that he was powerful and could capture and kill whoever he wanted to (Mark 6:16-17), but right in front of his people, he was eaten up by ordinary maggots (Acts 12:23).

When God wants to show that He is in control, He can use ants to bring down an elephant. This is why you will always see me being humble, kneeling to worship God in public, and surrendering my all to Him. I know what I am doing because I know that without Him, I am nothing. I know that no matter how powerful people think I am, God can break me like a toothpick if I offend Him.

Beloved, always live conscious of your frailty in God’s hands; don’t ever think you are in control.

Keep it at the back of your mind at all times that God is in control. The producers of a popular television show in Nigeria would always say that we are nothing but pencils in the hand of the Creator.

If you think you are better than everyone else, know that you are just a pencil in God’s hands, and He can do with you as He pleases. Like David, ask God to always remind you of how frail you are in His hands.

PRAYER POINT

Father, please let me never forget how weak and helpless I am in your hands.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR

Amos 1-4

Father, please let me never forget how weak and helpless I am in your hands.

HYMN 23: TAKE MY LIFE AND LET IT BE

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The Open Heaven 16 September 2024 devotional for today is DON’T TRY TO OUTRUN GOD.

This is a daily devotion written by Pastor E. A. Adeboye, General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG).

• Read: RCCG Open Heaven 15 September 2024 Devotional

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OPEN HEAVEN 16 SEPTEMBER 2024 TODAY DEVOTIONAL

TOPIC: DON’T TRY TO OUTRUN GOD

MEMORISE:

A faithful man shall abound with blessings: but he that maketh haste to be rich shall not be innocent.

Proverbs 28:20

READ: Ecclesiastes 3:1-11:

To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:
² A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;
³ A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;

⁴ A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
⁵ A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
⁶ A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;

⁷ A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
⁸ A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.⁹ What profit hath he that worketh in that wherein he laboureth?

¹⁰ I have seen the travail, which God hath given to the sons of men to be exercised in it.
¹¹ He hath made every thing beautiful in his time: also he hath set the world in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end.

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RCCG OPEN HEAVEN 16 SEPTEMBER 2024 TODAY MESSAGE

God makes everything beautiful in His time (Ecclesiastes 3:11). The pursuit of the vanities of this world has robbed many people of far greater and better blessings from God.

It is not bad to want to achieve something great or pursue a good cause, but if you try to outrun God, you may never achieve that goal, and worse still, you may pay for it with something very precious to you. God knows your desires; in fact, it is likely that He is the one who put them there.

He knows the best times and the best ways for those desires to be accomplished, so, don’t try to act smarter than the One who made your brain.

Years ago, I was duped by a man who promised to make me a commandant of a paramilitary group. This man had been sending messages to me through my secretary for a while, and so, one day, I gave him audience.

He explained to me how a Boy-Scouts-like group had evolved into this new agency, and that he was sourcing for who would lead the group spiritually.

Normally, I ask God before getting involved in anything at all, but this time, my love for the military in my younger days beclouded my best instincts, and l agreed to be their head. He told me that they needed some funding, which I gave as the prospective head.

However, I later found out that the man was a fake. My desire to be part of a paramilitary group made me run ahead of God, but God had already purposed for Redemption City to have its own corps of chaplains as well as a local Police post.

He knew the desire of my heart, and He had planned for it to be fulfilled in His own time. I thought that I could bring my desire to fulfilment at my own time, but I was wrong.

What I lost in that experience was money, but for someone else, it might have been their life or a loved one.

The Bible makes it clear that God delights in our well-being and prosperity (Psalms 35:27-3 John 1:2). Therefore, it is not wrong to desire wealth.

He will definitely make you prosper, but in His own time. Beloved, follow God’s timing; don’t try to outrun Him.

KEY POINT

Don’t try to outrun God so that you will not lose far more than what you set out to gain.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR

Joel 1-3

HYMN 21: STANDING ON THE PROMISES OF CHRIST MY KING

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The Open Heaven 15 September 2024 devotional for today is COMMIT IT TO GOD.

This is a daily devotion written by Pastor E. A. Adeboye, General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG).

• Read: RCCG Open Heaven 14 September 2024 Devotional

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OPEN HEAVEN 15 SEPTEMBER 2024 TODAY DEVOTIONAL

TOPIC: COMMIT IT TO GOD

MEMORISE:

Commit thy works unto the Lord, and thy thoughts shall be established.

Proverbs 16:3

READ: Proverbs 3:5-6:

⁵ Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.
⁶ In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.

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RCCG OPEN HEAVEN 15 SEPTEMBER 2024 TODAY MESSAGE

There is nothing, absolutely nothing, that is committed to God that does not turn out well. This is why you must commit things into God’s hands and let Him take the lead in everything that you do.
Ask Him for counsel before you make any move, and everything will go well.

My Father in the Lord, Pa Josiah Akindayomi, exemplified committing things into God’s hands.
He placed the church in God’s hands right from its outset. He did not just commit the church into God’s hands in prayers, he also did so in actions.

He did exactly everything that God asked Him to do as regards the church, and in turn, God fulfilled His promises concerning the church. Many people think that The Redeemed Christian Church of God is what it is today because of me; that is not true.

God already decided the destiny of the church long before I became born again. If I had refused to obey Him, He would have gotten someone else to become the General Overseer. Whatever is committed into God’s hands can never go wrong.

If you really want to be successful, place all your plans in the hands of God. Proverbs 3:5 says:
Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.

Don’t depend on your degrees, skills, connections, or money; depend on God alone. Trust Him with all your heart, do everything according to His word, obey all His instructions, and you will see Him do great things for you. Make it clear to God that He is the owner of your career, business, ministry, and every other aspect of your life, and He will make sure that you have all-round success.

You must note, however, that when you commit something to God, you are agreeing to Him becoming your senior partner. This means that when He gives you instructions, you must obey.
Some of these instructions may not make sense to you, and some may be very difficult for you to do, but if you don’t take the control back from Him, and if you submit to His leadership, you will enjoy greater success than you could ever have had all by yourself.

PRAYER POINT

Father, please take complete charge of all that concerns me from today, in Jesus’ name.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR

Hosea 10-14

HYMN30: WHEN WE WALK WITH THE LORD

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Download Open Heaven 15 September 2024 Devotional PDF

The Open Heaven 14 September 2024 devotional for today is VESSELS UNTO DISHONOUR.

This is a daily devotion written by Pastor E. A. Adeboye, General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG).

• Read: RCCG Open Heaven 13 September 2024 Devotional

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OPEN HEAVEN 14 SEPTEMBER 2024 TODAY DEVOTIONAL

TOPIC: VESSELS UNTO DISHONOUR

MEMORISE:

The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.

Psalms 51:17

READ: 1 Samuel 15:1-28:

Samuel also said unto Saul, The Lord sent me to anoint thee to be king over his people, over Israel: now therefore hearken thou unto the voice of the words of the Lord.
² Thus saith the Lord of hosts, I remember that which Amalek did to Israel, how he laid wait for him in the way, when he came up from Egypt.
³ Now go and smite Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and spare them not; but slay both man and woman, infant and suckling, ox and sheep, camel and ass.

⁴ And Saul gathered the people together, and numbered them in Telaim, two hundred thousand footmen, and ten thousand men of Judah.
⁵ And Saul came to a city of Amalek, and laid wait in the valley.
⁶ And Saul said unto the Kenites, Go, depart, get you down from among the Amalekites, lest I destroy you with them: for ye shewed kindness to all the children of Israel, when they came up out of Egypt. So the Kenites departed from among the Amalekites.

⁷ And Saul smote the Amalekites from Havilah until thou comest to Shur, that is over against Egypt.
⁸ And he took Agag the king of the Amalekites alive, and utterly destroyed all the people with the edge of the sword.
⁹ But Saul and the people spared Agag, and the best of the sheep, and of the oxen, and of the fatlings, and the lambs, and all that was good, and would not utterly destroy them: but every thing that was vile and refuse, that they destroyed utterly.
¹⁰ Then came the word of the Lord unto Samuel, saying,

¹¹ It repenteth me that I have set up Saul to be king: for he is turned back from following me, and hath not performed my commandments. And it grieved Samuel; and he cried unto the Lord all night.
¹² And when Samuel rose early to meet Saul in the morning, it was told Samuel, saying, Saul came to Carmel, and, behold, he set him up a place, and is gone about, and passed on, and gone down to Gilgal.
¹³ And Samuel came to Saul: and Saul said unto him, Blessed be thou of the Lord: I have performed the commandment of the Lord.

¹⁴ And Samuel said, What meaneth then this bleating of the sheep in mine ears, and the lowing of the oxen which I hear?
¹⁵ And Saul said, They have brought them from the Amalekites: for the people spared the best of the sheep and of the oxen, to sacrifice unto the Lord thy God; and the rest we have utterly destroyed.
¹⁶ Then Samuel said unto Saul, Stay, and I will tell thee what the Lordhath said to me this night. And he said unto him, Say on.
¹⁷ And Samuel said, When thou wast little in thine own sight, wast thou not made the head of the tribes of Israel, and the Lord anointed thee king over Israel?

¹⁸ And the Lord sent thee on a journey, and said, Go and utterly destroy the sinners the Amalekites, and fight against them until they be consumed.
¹⁹ Wherefore then didst thou not obey the voice of the Lord, but didst fly upon the spoil, and didst evil in the sight of the Lord?
²⁰ And Saul said unto Samuel, Yea, I have obeyed the voice of the Lord, and have gone the way which the Lord sent me, and have brought Agag the king of Amalek, and have utterly destroyed the Amalekites.

²¹ But the people took of the spoil, sheep and oxen, the chief of the things which should have been utterly destroyed, to sacrifice unto the Lord thy God in Gilgal.
²² And Samuel said, Hath the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.
²³ For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the Lord, he hath also rejected thee from being king.

²⁴ And Saul said unto Samuel, I have sinned: for I have transgressed the commandment of the Lord, and thy words: because I feared the people, and obeyed their voice.
²⁵ Now therefore, I pray thee, pardon my sin, and turn again with me, that I may worship the Lord.
²⁶ And Samuel said unto Saul, I will not return with thee: for thou hast rejected the word of the Lord, and the Lord hath rejected thee from being king over Israel.

²⁷ And as Samuel turned about to go away, he laid hold upon the skirt of his mantle, and it rent.
²⁸ And Samuel said unto him, The Lord hath rent the kingdom of Israel from thee this day, and hath given it to a neighbour of thine, that is better than thou.

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RCCG OPEN HEAVEN 14 SEPTEMBER 2024 TODAY MESSAGE

Amongst the people you find in church, some are unto honour while others are unto dishonour, as we see in 2 Timothy 2:20:

But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honour, and some to dishonour.

God, however, is not the One who makes some vessels unto honour and others unto dishonour.

Rather, people, based on their behaviour toward God and His instructions, choose for themselves if they will be unto honour or unto dishonour.

There are many people who say that since God is merciful, and His mercies are new every morning (Lamentations 3:22-23), they can commit sin multiple times and ask Him for mercy multiple times.

Therefore, they commit sin purposely, trusting that when they ask for mercy, God will have mercy. Some even say things like, “God, forgive me for what I am about to say.” They know it is a sin, but they ask for forgiveness and go ahead to say it. People like this are trying to make a fool out of the Most High God and will become vessels unto dishonour if they do not repent.

The wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23). Even if a Christian gives a big sacrifice or worships God deeply, if his or her heart is still in a sinful state, the wages of sin remain death.

In today’s Bible reading, God told Saul to kill all the Amalekites, but he decided to play on God’s intelligence by saying that it was the people who brought the king of Amalek and the choice animals back with them to Israel. We see the result of the disobedience in 1 Samuel 15:28:

And Samuel said unto him, The LORD hath rent the kingdom of Israel from thee this day, and hath given it to a neighbour of thine, that is better than thou.

Saul begged Samuel to let him worship God, but it was not out of true repentance. He only did that because he did not want to be embarrassed in the presence of his followers. In the next chapter, you will see that as much as Samuel pleaded on his behalf, God still asked him to anoint a new king as his replacement. God later sent an evil spirit to torment Saul, as he had become a vessel unto dishonour.

Beloved, be careful. Don’t toy with sin, and don’t try to play on God’s intelligence so that you don’t end up like Saul.

REFLECTION

Do you still indulge in the things that God has been warning you about? Beware, so that you don’t become a vessel unto dishonour.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR

Hosea 5-9

HYMN 20: STAND UP! STAND UP FOR JESUS

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