This post contains RCCG Open Heaven June 2023 Devotional for the whole month.
RCCG OPEN HEAVEN 1 JUNE 2023 Thursday Devotional
TOPIC: LIFE: SEASON 5
MEMORISE: Genesis 18:19 (KJV)
For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the LORD, to do justice and judgement, that the LORD may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him.
BIBLE TEXT: Deuteronomy 6:4-9 (KJV)
RCCG OPEN HEAVEN 1 June 2023 MESSAGE
We will be discussing the final season of a person’s life today. At this stage, you are asking, “What legacy am going to leave behind if God calls me home today?” At this point, you are not thinking of what happens while you are still here on earth; all that you start pursuing is a great legacy for yourself.
When you read 2 Timothy 4:7 and then backtrack to two chapters before that, you would see what Paul was telling Timothy in 2 Timothy 2:2:
And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also.
He wanted to ensure that the things he stood for – his legacy, didn’t die with him. There is no way you can create a legacy if you are not already known for something while still alive. Start pursuing a godly course that you know the Lord has given you a burden for.
It’s a pity that only a few people ever get to this season in their lives. Many care only about what happens when they are on earth but the wise few care more about what will be said of them important to you than all the money in the world. Proverbs 22:1 says: A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches, and loving favour rather silver and gold.
When you get to this season, you wouldn’t want anything to stain your name at all; instead, you would want to be remembered for greatness. You would spend time with your family members and loved ones. There are people who pursued many things at the expense of their families only to later realise that the children they neglected were the only ones they could rely on to continue with their legacy.
If you really want to have a great legacy, you must spend time pouring yourself into your children. You should live your life in such a way that when you leave this world, they will have great things to say about you.
REFLECTION
What would you like to be remembered for when you leave this world? Start pursuing it now.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR
Job 21-24
RCCG HYMN 23: Take My Life And Let It Be
RCCG OPEN HEAVEN 2 JUNE 2023 Friday Devotional
TOPIC: PRAYERS FOR LEADERS
MEMORISE: Psalm 22:28 (KJV)
For the kingdom is the Lord’s: and he is the governor among the nations.
BIBLE TEXT: 1 Timothy 2:1-4
RCCG OPEN HEAVEN 2 JUNE 2023 PRAYERS
1. Father, thank You for everyone You have appointed as a leader over me in my family, workplace, community, nation, church etc.
2. Father, please help all our leaders to fear You genuinely and lead according to Your will, in Jesus’ name.
3. Father, please let all our leaders love the people they are called to serve genuinely and not the position they occupy.
4. Father, please make all our leaders servant-leaders just like Jesus Christ.
5. Father, no matter the difficulties that arise, please give our leaders the wisdom to resolve them in Jesus’ name.
6. Father, please make our leaders men and women of integrity. Remove every form of greed and deceit from their hearts in Jesus’ name.
7. Father, please give every good leader strength not to be weary in doing good. Keep them standing, in Jesus’ name.
8. Father, You are the best leader in the world. Please be the one leading behind the scenes. Any policy or rule that is not in line with Your will, let it not stand, in Jesus’ name.
10. Father, please give our leaders wisdom to work in unity, in Jesus’ name.
11. Father, please raise Christian leaders to lead in every sphere of influence, in Jesus’ name.
12. Your personal prayer point for your leaders.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR
Job 25-30
RCCG HYMN 22: Sweet Hour Of Prayer
RCCG OPEN HEAVEN 3 JUNE 2023 Saturday Devotional
TOPIC: DEALING WITH ENEMIES
MEMORISE: Psalm 23:5
Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil, my cup runneth over.
BIBLE TEXT: Esther 9:1-3
RCCG OPEN HEAVEN 3 JUNE 2023 MESSAGE
John 8:36 tells us that whosoever the Son sets free shall be free indeed, not partially. This means that God’s children should not be living under any form of but unfortunately, some are still held in bondage by the devil.
Psalm 24:7-10 says that your God is the Lord strong and mighty, mighty in battle. He is the Lord of Hosts and He can never lose a war. It doesn’t matter how many evil forces are trying to hold you down, my Father will deal with them all today, in Jesus’ name.
God has different ways of dealing with our enemies. He can do it by drowning (Exodus 14:28), roasting (2 Kings 1:9-12), throwing stones from heaven (Joshua 10:11), or even tying them down to watch you enjoy divine provisions (Psalm 23:5). God can paralyse your enemies just to let them see your glory. All those hindering your promotion will bow before you, in Jesus’ name.
There was once a wealthy lady who lived in a city. On a certain day, as she was about to eat, a frog suddenly landed on her plate and then disappeared. From that day on, she started coughing heavily, and whenever she coughed, she urinated too. She was in this terrible condition for two years. She tried everything medically possible to get healed but nothing worked.
One day, we went to her city to hold a programme. She attended and when the altar call was made, she gave her to Christ. From that moment the coughing ceased and she began to sleep soundly. She was delivered by our Lord Jesus Christ the demon that had been tormenting her went back to its sender. The sender was a woman and she started to cough immediately.
She later confessed and began to beg the woman she afflicted for help. In the process of seeking forgiveness, the second woman also gave her life to Jesus Christ and God healed her. The two of them are strong members of the Church now.
I decree that the Lord will deal with all your enemies, cause them to repent and seek for your help in Jesus’ name.
PRAYER POINT
Father, let everyone who has decided to be my enemy bow before me, in Jesus’ name.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR
Job 31-34
RCCG HYMN 6: I Am So Glad That Our Father In Heav’n
RCCG OPEN HEAVEN 4 JUNE 2023 Sunday Devotional
TOPIC: NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE FOR GOD
MEMORISE: Ephesians 3:20 (KJV)
Now unto him who is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us.
BIBLE TEXT: Genesis 18:9-14 (KJV)
RCCG OPEN HEAVEN 4 JUNE 2023 MESSAGE
In 2 Kings 6:1-7, Prophet Elisha’s children-in-the-Lord asked for permission to go to Jordan and build a bigger place as their current accommodation had become too small for them. As they were cutting down trees, one of their axe heads fell into the river and sank. There seemed to be no way to bring it back, until they factored God into the equation.
Elisha got up, cut a stick from a tree and threw it into the river. If you have done a little bit of science, you would know that sticks float but then this one had anointing and so as soon as it got into the river, it sank. When it reached the axe head, it transferred the anointing to it and the iron that had sunk floated back to the surface of the river. All these happened because with God, nothing is impossible.
In our Bible reading for today, Abraham and Sarah were past child-bearing age. God visited them and while they were entertaining Him, He said Sarah would have a baby in 9 months’ time. The Bible says in verse 12 that Sarah laughed within her. I would have laughed out too because ordinarily, a 90-year-old woman would not have been able to bear a child.
Moreover, would Sarah and her husband still have been intimate at that age? She denied laughing, but then the Lord said, “Well, I know you laughed; nine months from now, you will carry a baby whose name will be Laughter”. True to God’s word, in nine months’ time, Sarah was laughing because even though she was 90 years old, she had now become a mother.
There is nothing impossible for my God to do. I have good news for you today: even if you have passed child bearing age and you are yet to give birth to a child, nine months from now, you will carry your set of twins in Jesus’ name.
We serve a God who can do the absolutely impossible (Luke 1:37). In Jeremiah 32:27, God asked a rhetorical question: “Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh: is there any thing too hard for me?“
Psalm 62:11 says God has spoken once, twice have I heard that power belongs to Him. Your Father is omnipotent. Go ahead now and tell Him what you want Him to do for you.
PRAYER POINT
Tell God what you want Him to use His power to do for you.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR
Job 35-38
RCCG HYMN 18: Praise To The Lord The Almighty
RCCG OPEN HEAVEN 5 JUNE 2023 Monday Devotional
TOPIC: NO HOLINESS, NO MIRACLES
MEMORISE: 2 Corinthians 7:1 (KJV)
Having, therefore, these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting in the fear of God.
BIBLE TEXT: Ephesians 5:1-5 (KJV)
RCCG OPEN HEAVEN 5 JUNE 2023 MESSAGE
Some people query God for not answering their prayers because they have been praying for so long. This has made them conclude that God is not from Him daily. If there is a problem at all, it is likely to be from the fellow who is praying,
Isaiah 59:1-2 tells us that God can always hear us but our sins separate and hide our faces from Him. If He doesn’t hear your prayer at all, how is He going to answer? How can you continue in sin and expect grace to abound? The Bible’s response to that is, “God forbid” (Romans 6:1-2).
Some people sow in Church and get no harvest, then they turn around to say that God’s word is not true, whereas the issue may be that God rejected their offering because of their sins (Proverbs 15:8). He must first accept you before He can accept your offering.
A lady attended one of our programmes because she had heard that Pastor Adeboye has a special anointing for making the barren fruitful after praying for them. She met with me and I prayed for her. While praying for her, I laid my hand upon her and she fell. When she came around, she rejoiced that she had fallen under the anointing and was sure her miracle was on the way.
A year later, she came back with a query because she had not given birth. I was already thinking that maybe God wanted to give her a second touch when all of a sudden, I heard God say, “Ask her how many boyfriends she has”. If I hadn’t known the voice of God, I wouldn’t have asked because she was a highly placed person in the society.
I managed to ask her and she said she had six boyfriends! I was shocked. How can you expect a baby from God when you are keeping six boyfriends apart from your husband? How would she have known the real father?
Many people want a miracle, whereas what they are really asking for is magic. God is Holy and He is a miracle worker, not a magician like the devil. Begin to live holy from today so that when you call on God, you can rest assured that He will answer you.
KEY POINT
Holiness is the master key to getting God’s attention.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR
Job 39-42
RCCG HYMN 23: Take My Life And Let It Be
RCCG OPEN HEAVEN 6 JUNE 2023 Tuesday Devotional
TOPIC: LIGHT UP I
MEMORISE: John 8:12 (KJV)
Then Jesus spake unto them saying: I am the light of the world, he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.
BIBLE TEXT: Isaiah 60:1-3 (KJV)
RCCG OPEN HEAVEN 6 JUNE 2023 MESSAGE
For the next few days, we will be discussing the nature of light and what it means to be lit up. 1 John 1:5 says that God is light. The colour of pure light is white, but when you pass it through a glass rainbow – Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo and Violet. For this series, however, I’ll focus on the colours red, yellow, green and blue.
Red is the colour of danger. Hebrews 12:29 says that God is a Consuming Fire, meaning that God is indeed powerful and not someone to be toyed with. If you don’t believe me, ask Pharaoh. When you carry the light of God in you, you become a danger to the enemy. That is why 1 Chronicles 16:22 says, “Touch not mine anointed and do my prophets no harm”.
Red is also the colour of blood and Revelation 12:11 says that the saints overcame Satan by the blood of the Lamb and the word of their testimony. There is so much power in the blood of the Lamb that you can use it to overcome Satan. The red in the light of God within you will make you dangerous and give you power to overcome the devil. Red also signifies the stop sign. When the traffic light goes red, you know you have to stop (Exodus 12:23). Once you are lit up by the light of God, when evil sees you, it will stop.
Some years ago, a woman came to me and said money kept disappearing from their house. Initially, she and her husband suspected each other of stealing the money until one day, they confronted each other and discovered that neither of them was the culprit. This meant they were in real trouble.
I understood what was happening immediately, especially because the husband used to be deep in the occult before he became a Christian. I then told them that they should always cover their money with the blood of Jesus so that anytime the devil came to steal he would find the blood of Jesus covering it and leave. From that day on, they never lost anything again.
I decree today that you, your children and property are covered in the blood of the Lamb and from now, when death sees you, it will stop, in Jesus’ name.
KEY POINT
When you carry the light of God, you become dangerous to the enemy.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR
Psalms 1-8
RCCG HYMN 1: All Hail The Power Of Jesus’ Name
RCCG OPEN HEAVEN 7 JUNE 2023 Wednesday Devotional
TOPIC: LIGHT UP II
MEMORISE: Job 36:11 (KJV)
If they obey and serve him, they will spend their days in prosperity and their years in pleasures.
BIBLE TEXT: Isaiah 40:28-31 (KJV)
RCCG OPEN HEAVEN 7 JUNE 2023 MESSAGE
When white light is passed through a prism, one of the colours you would see is yellow. Yellow is the colour of the sun and one of the names of Jesus Christ is the Sun of righteousness (Malachi 4:2). The yellow that is embedded in the light of God in you brings healing with it.
Yellow, being the colour of the sun, also means that it is the colour of unlimited energy. When you carry this light of God within you, you enjoy the kind of energy that people can’t understand. This is because Isaiah 40:31 says that they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength.
When I was about to turn 70, I asked God if I could retire and He said, ‘No’. Then I thought I would rest for the whole year instead. What I discovered is that my 70th year was busier than every year before it and, by the grace of God, I am still standing. No matter how old you are, your energy will never run out, in Jesus’ name.
Yellow is also the colour of pure gold and that is why, if you are connected with the light of God, you just must prosper. Furthermore, Philippians 4:19 says, “But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” Psalm 23:5 shows us that our God is a God of abundance. Believe me honestly, all you need is a single breakthrough and you will cross the border of poverty forever (Malachi 3:10).
There was once an Arab boy who got born again in an Islamic country and escaped to England to avoid persecution. He got to London and worked as a waiter in a restaurant. Life was very difficult for him but he held on to his faith.
One day, he overheard a rich Arabian man grumbling to himself in Arabic. He asked the man what was wrong. The rich Arabian, who had come to London to buy houses had become frustrated about his failure due to his inability to speak English. The man, excited that he had found someone who understood both Arabic and English, asked the boy to be his interpreter and paid him one million pounds per day for three days.
Once you carry the light of God within you, you become a candidate for divine prosperity.
KEY POINT
Carrying God’s light in you means carrying divine prosperity in you.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR
Psalms 9-17
RCCG HYMN 17: Praise My Soul The King Of Heaven
RCCG OPEN HEAVEN 8 JUNE 2023 Thursday Devotional
TOPIC: LIGHT UP III
MEMORISE: Genesis 17:6 (KJV)
And I will make thee exceeding fruitful, and I will make nations of thee and kings will come out of thee.
BIBLE TEXT: Mark 16:16-18 (KJV)
RCCG OPEN HEAVEN 8 JUNE 2023 MESSAGE
Embedded in pure light is the colour green – the colour of fruitfulness. John 15:1-5 says there is no way you can have the Light in you and remain barren. The Light that lives within you is the Vine you connect to so as to become fruitful (John 15:5). He gives you the ability to be fruitful even in situations where others have been barren. He said about those who are His children:
There shall nothing cast their young, nor be barren, in thy land: the number of thy days I will fulfil. Exodus 23:2.
Green is also the colour of power (Acts 1:8). When you carry the Light within you, you will have the power of God operating through you. You need power to move forward. It is the engine inside a vehicle that determines how fast it can go. When the Light is within you, you have a very high level of power that makes you accelerate at an unusual speed. In other words, when you carry the Light, your promotion will be extra rapid. Believe me honestly, you can enjoy such great speed in your career that even you will be trembling at the thought of it.
One of my sons came to me once, saying he had a job interview and he wanted me to just speak a word over him. I said, “Go and the interview will go well.” He said, “Amen” left. He returned the following day excited that not only did the interview go well but that he got the job (Deputy Managing Director) and the board asked him to resume the very next day. I congratulated him and he said, “No, speak another word”. I said, “Alright, the Almighty God who has given you the job will make your rapid”.
He went and then the following day, came again, trembling. “Daddy, I got to the place of work, and was told that after I left the previous day, their Managing Director resigned. There, on the spot, I was offered the role of Managing Director”. I congratulated him again and he said, “No Daddy, speak another word”. I then said, “The God who has begun a good work in you will perfect it”. He came back to testify the day after that his salary had been doubled.
I speak a word to you now: your promotion shall be rapid, in the mighty name of Jesus.
KEY POINT
The Light of God within you will grant you unusual speed in life.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR
Psalms 18-21
RCCG HYMN 10: In Christ Alone
RCCG OPEN HEAVEN 9 JUNE 2023 Friday Devotional
TOPIC: LIGHT UP IV
MEMORISE: Isaiah 58:8 (KJV)
Then shall thy light break forth as the morning and thine health shall spring forth speedily and thy righteousness shall go before thee; the glory of the LORD shall be thy reward.
BIBLE TEXT: John 15:12-15 (KJV)
RCCG OPEN HEAVEN 9 JUNE 2023 MESSAGE
The colour blue is widely considered as the colour of love and it is one of the colours that can be seen in pure light. 1 John 4:8 says God is love. What does love do for you? The mere fact that you are associated with the love of God makes you more than a conqueror (Romans 8:37).
Deuteronomy 28:1-7 tells us that you don’t even have to fight against your enemies if you have the Light inside you. It says if they rise against you, they will be smitten before your face. You don’t even have to lift your hands; you just watch as the Lord – your Lover, takes care of your enemies.
There was once a military ruler in Nigeria who wanted to convert to a civilian president. He consulted some of his occult people and they said that I would be a threat to his ambition. The military ruler decided to come and pick me up and in those days, whenever that happened, the person involved was not likely to return alive.
Fortunately for me, one of my spiritual children working with an arm of the government caught whiff of the plan and alerted me that they were coming for me within the next two weeks. I did not tell my wife; I just went out that night on my normal prayer walk and my Lover spoke to me. That is one thing that love does; it enables you to hear secrets from God (John 13:21-26). God told me plainly not to worry and that I would even outlive the fellow.
A few days later, at the Holy Ghost Service on the first Friday of June, I said to the congregation, “Greet one another and say, “Happy New Year”. They obeyed and indeed by Sunday, the nation experienced a new beginning. That military ruler became deceased and his successor handed over to a democratically elected government. Love made me more than a conqueror.
When you combine all the seven colours that make up the rainbow, they give you the colour white which symbolises purity and holiness. Purity and holiness will not only attract blessings to you but will also make you see God (Matthew 5:8).
In conclusion, all the blessings we’ve discussed in this series can only manifest in your life if you obey God’s command to live holy (1 Peter 1:16).
KEY POINT
All the benefits of being lit up by God are embedded in holiness.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR
Psalms 22-27
RCCG HYMN 31: Wonderful Story of Love
RCCG OPEN HEAVEN 10 JUNE 2023 Saturday Devotional
TOPIC: HONOUR THE ANOINTED
MEMORISE: 2 Timothy 5:17 (KJV)
Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honour, especially they who labor in the and doctrine
BIBLE TEXT: 2 Kings 4:8-17 (KJV)
RCCG OPEN HEAVEN 10 JUNE 2023 MESSAGE
In 2 Kings 1:9-15, Elijah was sitting on a mountain top when a king sent 50 armed soldiers and a captain to arrest him. Elijah looked defenceless physically but when they tried to arrest him, he called fire down from heaven to roast all of them. When the king sent another 50 soldiers, they got roasted too.
Thereafter, he sent another set of 50 soldiers and their captain. When they got to the mountain where Elijah was and saw the ashes of the two sets of soldiers that had been consumed by fire, the Bible says the captain fell on his knees and begged the man of God to spare him as he was only doing his job. The angel of God then spoke to Elijah and said, “You can go with him”. What made his case different? Honour. That is why he was able to succeed at what got the previous captains and soldiers roasted.
It doesn’t matter who you are; if you despise an anointed man or woman of God, if you mock him or her, you could pay dearly for it. In 2 Kings 2:23-24, you see what happened when some children started mocking Elisha; they ended up being eaten by bears. The anointing on a man or woman of God can work dangerously against anyone who despises him or her. Any true man or woman of God will tell you that as the anointing increases, he or she speaks less because whatever he or she says when angry can kill.
There was a man who decided to take over the Parish of The Redeemed Christian Church of God he was pastoring. When I heard the news I simply said, “I leave him to God”. The man held a crusade and on his way home, he got killed by armed robbers. I had thought I was careful enough with what I said. Since then, I learned to not take offence easily and if at all I am offended, I keep my mouth shut. It is better to provoke a blessing from the anointed than a curse.
The easiest way to provoke a man or woman of God to bless you is to honour him or her. When you honour the anointed, the anointing will work in your favour. The king of Israel honoured Elisha by calling him Father. In turn, Elisha used his anointing to save him and his army when their enemies laid ambush for them. God can solve all your problems in an instant if you would just honour a man or woman of God.
ACTION POINT
When next you see an anointed person, make sure you do something that just shows the person that you him or her.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR
Psalms 28-33
RCCG HYMN 12: Onward Christian Soldiers!
RCCG OPEN HEAVEN 11 JUNE 2023 Sunday Devotional
TOPIC: WHEN GOD CALLS YOU I
MEMORISE: Ephesians 4:1-2 (KJV)
I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called, with all lowliness and meekness with long suffering, forbearing one another in love.
BIBLE TEXT: 2 Peter 1:1-11 (KJV)
RCCG OPEN HEAVEN 11 JUNE 2023 MESSAGE
The call of God is actually a call to God. Many people think that when God calls them, it is a call to something, whereas it is a call to Him. When He calls you, He is saying, “Come closer to me”. In Mark 3:14, the Bible says that the first reason He called the disciples was that they should be with Him.
The call of God is two-fold. First, He can call you to leave your sinful ways, to leave the kingdom of darkness and come to Him in the Kingdom of light. This is the call He made in Matthew 11:28: “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest”. We will focus on this first call today.
This call is the very one that every human being will receive. When you are in a service and you hear the preacher making the altar call, it is actually God Himself calling out to sinners to leave their sinful ways and come to Him for salvation.
There was a very notorious young man who brought someone to Church with his motorcycle. He waited for a little while outside the Church and listened to the sermon. When the altar call was made he considered surrendering his life to Christ, but then decided against it and zoomed off. Unfortunately, he got involved in an accident later that day and died. If only he had answered the altar call when it was made! Even if he had still died, at least he would have made it to heaven.
God’s call unto salvation is extended to everyone. He desires to call all sinners out of darkness into His marvellous light. He is seeking to make everyone a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation and a peculiar people (1 Peter 2:9).
Some however, heed God’s call, become saved then start to sin again wilfully. Such people are not fit for the kingdom of God (Luke 9:62) and He promised to spue such out of His mouth if they do not retrace their steps back to Him. (Revelation 3:16).
KEY POINT
God’s call to salvation is a call to holiness. If you don’t live holy, you are rejecting the call.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR
Psalms 34-37
RCCG HYMN 2: Amazing Grace
RCCG OPEN HEAVEN 12 JUNE 2023 Monday Devotional
TOPIC: WHEN GOD CALLS YOU II
MEMORISE: 2 Timothy 1:9 (KJV)
Who hath saved us and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began.
BIBLE TEXT: 1 Peter 4:7-11
RCCG OPEN HEAVEN 12 JUNE 2023 MESSAGE
After God has called you to salvation, the next call He makes to you is to join Him in His agenda to redeem other lost souls across the world. He doesn’t only redeem the world from the alter; He calls people from all walks of life to be His tools for redemption in that area. For example, He can call some people to join Him in politics because He has an agenda to use the political office they will occupy as a tool in redeeming the world.
God is not a Sunday-Sunday God. He is God every single day. Pastors don’t reserve the right to be used by God. As long as you are born again – whether you are in business, arts, entertainment or even fashion, God can use you in that field to redeem the world. He said in Colossians 3:17, “And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.”
When you do something in the name of someone, it means that it is not really you doing it but the fellow you are representing. When you feel God pulling you to work for Him in a certain field of life, then you must ask Him what His agenda is concerning that thing you are to do. Know that in that place where you are, everything you do must be in line with His agenda. That is the only way you can be doing it in His name.
Note that you are His representative there and so must not do what He would not if He were there physically Himself. As a reward for answering the call to join Him in His redemptive work in the world, God makes sure that all things work together for your good.
And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose: Romans 8:28.
Once you are called according to His purpose and you answer that call, fulfilling His purpose in your field, all things will begin to work together for your good.
KEY POINT
God called you to represent Him in everything you do and say.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR
Psalms 38-42
RCCG HYMN 20: Stand Up! Stand Up For Jesus
RCCG OPEN HEAVEN 13 JUNE 2023 Tuesday Devotional
TOPIC: SPIRITUAL PERSONALITY DISORDER
MEMORISE: Romans 1:28 (KJV)
And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient.
BIBLE TEXT: Romans 1:28-32 (KJV)
RCCG OPEN HEAVEN 13 JUNE 2023 MESSAGE
Personality disorders are becoming more and more common, even amongst children of God. These disorders typically involve patterns of behaviour and thinking that usually makes it difficult to form and maintain a close relationship with God. They also make it difficult to meet the daily demands of one’s personal, spiritual, and work life.
Experts say that these personality disorders can be identified by three major characteristics: intense and unstable emotions, eccentric and odd behaviour or extreme fear and nervousness. Some studies have also shown that personality disorders are often associated with high levels of self-injury and are even sometimes linked to suicide.
The situation is so bleak that Job 10:22 described it as, “A land of darkness, as darkness itself; And of the shadow of death, without any order, and where the light is as darkness”. I pray that you and your loved ones will never experience this, in Jesus’ name. If you are already experiencing this, may the power of God deliver you today, in Jesus’ name.
Several passages of the Bible confirm that spiritual personality disorder could come through three major sources: as an attack from the enemy (John 10:10), self-infliction (Mark 7:23, Galatians 5:21), or as a divine curse, a repercussion of sin, as recorded in 1 Corinthians 3:17. Deuteronomy also says:
The Lord shall send upon thee cursing, vexation, and rebuke, in all that thou settest thine hand unto for to do, until thou be destroyed, and until thou perish quickly; because of the wickedness of thy doings, whereby thou hast forsaken me.
Repent of all your sins and accept Jesus as your Lord and Saviour. Jesus intervened and restored several cases of personality disorders and insanity to wholeness by His word. I therefore decree in the name that is above every other name: Be delivered from every spiritual personality disorder and insanity today, in the name of Jesus.
PRAYER POINT
Father, heal everyone suffering from spiritual personality disorder and insanity, in Jesus’
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR
Psalms 43-49
RCCG HYMN 25: The Great Physician Now Is Near
RCCG OPEN HEAVEN 14 JUNE 2023 Wednesday Devotional
TOPIC: DON’T BE AFRAID
MEMORISE 1 John 4:18 (KJV)
There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.
BIBLE TEXT: Isaiah 41:10-20 (KJV)
RCCG OPEN HEAVEN 14 JUNE 2023 MESSAGE
Our memory verse for today says that fear is a tormentor. According to 2 Timothy 1:7, fear is a spirit and since it is not a gift from God, then it is from the devil. In Proverbs 29:25, God says the fear of man brings a snare. In other words, if you are afraid of a man, you will fall into a trap. The reason many run to witch doctors is fear, which is why they keep looking for protection against all kinds of enemies.
One of the things that makes fear so terrible is that almost invariably, that which you are afraid of will come to you (Job 3:25). The fear of death has put many people in bondage today. The question now is: is everyone not going to die anyway? Hebrews 9:27 says death is an appointment that everyone must keep. The devil keeps people in bondage because of something that they should be prepared for rather than afraid of.
When you have God with you, fear will get away from you. David said that the reason he had no fear even in the valley of the shadow of death is because he had the presence of God with him (Psalm 23:4). Romans 8:15 says you do not have the spirit of bondage to fear, rather, that of adoption, giving you the right to call God your Daddy. The true realisation that you are a child of God and that God is with you always will chase fear out of your life. No child is afraid of a bully when his daddy is standing beside him.
As long as you are a child of God who lives holy, you can be sure that God is with you always. Our Bible reading for today says you should not be afraid for God is with you, it says He will hold your hand and strengthen you. If you have God on your side, you have nothing to fear.
Draw close to God and He will draw close to you (James 4:8). This means that if you surrender your life to Jesus and begin to live a holy life, God will come close to you and fear will disappear from your life. Sin will create a gap between you and God as He won’t even hear the prayers of unrepentant sinners (John 9:31) not to talk of saving them from danger.
The only thing I fear is for God to leave me because if He know that I am finished. That is why I live holy; I cannot afford to be away from His presence. What about you?
KEY POINT
God’s presence drives away fear.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR
Psalms 50-55
RCCG HYMN 31: Wonderful Story Of Love
RCCG OPEN HEAVEN 15 JUNE 2023 THURSDAY DEVOTIONAL
TOPIC: BE SPIRITUALLY MINDED
MEMORISE: Romans 8:6 (KJV)
For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.
BIBLE TEXT: 2 Chronicles 16:1-14 (KJV)
RCCG OPEN HEAVEN 15 JUNE 2023 MESSAGE
Some people find it difficult to trust God. They would rather put their trust in things that they can see than in the Lord that they cannot see. Many times, it is because we feel we are intelligent and our intelligence has helped us in the past so we want to be able to use it for everything.
I once went to minister the Holy Ghost baptism to a group of people; the uneducated ones were baptised almost as soon as the ministration started, but the educated ones were looking around, trying to understand how the baptism would come. These were doubting Thomases. Thomas was a man who would not believe until he saw with his eyes. John 20:29 says, “Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.”
Apostle Paul also said: While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal. 2 Corinthians 4:18
Where you look to when you are in need of help is where your faith lies. For example, David said he would look up to the hills from whence came his help – the Lord (Psalm 121:1-2). If you look to man, then your faith lies in man. If you look to your money, then that is where your faith lies. God can use either to meet your need, but you are to look to God and God alone.
God is displeased when you have faith in anything or anyone else but Him. Hebrews 11:6 says without faith it is impossible to please God. Until you take your eyes off the physical and set them on Him in the Spirit, some things will remain out of your reach.
In our Bible reading for today, Asa found it difficult to look to God for his healing even when physicians had failed him. This is a stronghold of the devil that must be broken. If you study your Bible diligently, pray without ceasing, and fellowship regularly with other believers, you would soon begin to see how the spiritual controls the physical.
Spend more time with God than you do with man and that stronghold of dependence on physical things will be broken.
ACTION POINT
Put your trust in God, He is the only One that can help you.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR
Psalms 56-61
RCCG HYMN 30: When We Walk With The Lord
RCCG OPEN HEAVEN 16 JUNE 2023 Friday Devotional
TOPIC: JUST START
MEMORISE: Joshua 1:9 (KJV)
Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage, be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: For the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.
BIBLE TEXT: Isaiah 43:15-19 (KJV)
RCCG OPEN HEAVEN 16 JUNE 2023 MESSAGE
I grew up in a very poor home. My father was extremely poor, yet he had two wives and many children. He also had a small farm that could not support the family if he died. So, I decided that I wasn’t going to die in that state of poverty and I knew that the only way out was to study hard in school.
I studied hard and gained admission to llesha Grammar School but when the results came, my mother called me into the room and said, “You this boy, what are you trying to do? You know we have no money, and you say you want to go to Grammar School.” Then she begged me, “Please my boy, Christmas is coming, I will buy you good clothes. Forget about this Grammar School.” I told her, “I don’t want Christmas clothes. I want to go to school.” This was in 1955.
To show her how serious I was, I refused to eat for two days and was prepared to continue my hunger strike on the third day when she and my father somehow got some money and deposited it to the school. One way or the other, I finished secondary school and gained admission into the university and today am where I am.
Success does not come to people who consider their limitations before they move.
The slothful man saith, There is a lion in the way; a lion is in the streets. Psalm 26:13
No matter the odds against you, if you can ignore those odds and just set out, there is success waiting for you out there. See those things that you call limitations as tests challenging your abilities. A champion is rated by the opponent he faces, the bigger the opponent, the greater the title. The stronger the opposition you face; the greater your level of success. Most people know the heavyweight champion of the world, but if you are to ask around only a few know the lightweight champion.
The reason my success story is interesting to many is the low level I came from. Get up and face those limitations; the reward will be worthwhile.
Be ye strong therefore, and let not your hands be weak: for your work shall be rewarded. 2 Chronicles 15:7
KEY POINT
There is no limitation you cannot surmount if you have Christ in you (Philippians 4:13)
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR
Psalms 62-68
RCCG HYMN 5: Blessed Assurance
RCCG OPEN HEAVEN 17 JUNE 2023 Saturday Devotional
TOPIC: TIME AND OPPORTUNITIES
MEMORISE: Psalm 90:12 (KJV)
So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.
BIBLE TEXT: Proverbs 3:5-7 (KJV)
RCCG OPEN HEAVEN 17 JUNE 2023 MESSAGE
Time is quite a difficult concept to define. One very simple way to describe it is that it is a river that constantly flows. It keeps flowing in a certain direction and carries everyone along with it. No matter what you are doing, time keeps flowing on. Therefore, when you don’t do what you are supposed to at the right time, not only would you have wasted a part of your time on earth, but a part of your life also. This is why you cannot afford to be lazy.
One of the things you must understand about the river called time is that as it is carrying you on, it is constantly throwing opportunities at you. It carries you through these opportunities from the day you were born until the day you die. As you flow, you go from one place to another and come across one person or another. Each person or place comes as an opportunity. If you don’t grab it when you are there, you may miss it forever as the river doesn’t flow backwards. When you understand this about time, you will realise that what decides if you will be successful is your ability to identify and make use of opportunities (Ecclesiastes 9:11).
The river called time has boundaries on both sides and you are usually in the middle. Occasionally, when God really loves you, He brings you in contact with the right person and tells you to follow him or her. If you are wise enough to obey Him without questions, then you will arrive at your God-ordained destiny. This is what happened to me when I met my Father-in-the-Lord-Pa Akindayomi. I had a Ph.D. in Mathematics which was a big deal back then. My Father-in-the-Lord could not even read or write. He could only read the Bible because of a God-given ability, yet God said should submit to and follow him.
Eventually, when he was going to be with the Lord, he wrote in his will that I should take over the leadership of the Church. My salary at the time was more than the income of the entire Church, but I obeyed. That is how the river of time brought me to where I am now.
If you want to fulfil your destiny, rely on God to show you the opportunities hidden in the people you meet and places you go, so that you will arrive at your expected end.
PRAYER POINT
Father, please don’t let me ever miss my opportunities in life, in Jesus’ name.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR
Psalms 69-72
RCCG HYMN 30: When We Walk With The Lord
RCCG OPEN HEAVEN 18 JUNE 2023 Sunday Devotional
TOPIC: DIVINE ENERGY DRINK I
MEMORISE: Psalm 16:11 (KJV)
Thou will shew me the path of life, in thy presence is fullness of joy, at thy right hand there are pleasures forever more.
BIBLE TEXT: Habakkuk 3:17-19
RCCG OPEN HEAVEN 18 JUNE 2023 MESSAGE
Nehemiah 8:10 says the joy of the Lord is your strength. Joy produces strength and strength is the ability to do work. Joy is the energy drink that heaven gives you to keep you strong and healthy enough to work.
The thing about this energy drink is that it has different concentrations, depending on how much of it is needed per time. The one with the smallest concentration is what I will call regular joy. You are supposed to have a dose of it every morning. Psalm 30:5 says weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning. People who suffer depression find it difficult to even stand from their beds in the morning. If you are experiencing any form of depression or sadness, I pray that the Lord will fill you with joy and strengthen you, in Jesus’ name.
One of the ways of getting joy is through hearing good news. Psalm 51:8 says, “Make me to hear joy and gladness; that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice”.
A brother returned from work so tired he refused dinner and just went to bed. As soon as he got to his room, his fiancée came to visit. His mother welcomed her but said the brother was very tired and had gone to bed.
However, the brother heard his fiancée’s voice and rushed out. He went to his mother and asked what he could offer the young lady. She replied, “There is rice but you will have to cook it”. He said, “No problem, I will cook”. The mother looked at him with surprise, wondering how he who had been too tired to even eat was now ready to cook. The good news that his fiancée was around had given him strength that even he did not know he had. You will hear good news every morning, in Jesus’ name.
The word of God is good news, it gives joy. Study it every morning; you will experience joy and receive strength. Jeremiah 15:16 says, “Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart: for I am called by name, O LORD God of hosts.”
Before you read the newspapers or blogs where you will most likely hear bad news, read the word of God to get the good news you need to strengthen you for the day.
KEY POINT
God’s word energises you for your daily activities.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR
Psalms 73-77
RCCG HYMN 3: Ancient Words
RCCG OPEN HEAVEN 19 JUNE 2023 Monday Devotional
TOPIC: DIVINE ENERGY DRINK II
MEMORISE: Luke 2:10 (KJV)
And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.
BIBLE TEXT: Acts 8:1-8 (KJV)
RCCG OPEN HEAVEN 19 JUNE 2023 MESSAGE
There is yet a more concentrated type of energy drink that comes from heaven to man, called ‘Great Joy’. Luke 2:8-16 tells of how the angels, at the birth of Jesus Christ, told the Shepherds that they had brought good news of great joy. Nehemiah 8:10 says the joy of the Lord shall be your strength. When you have great joy, you will be able to do anything your heart desires for God.
When we started building the camp, because of the great joy of having our own campground at last, we did things that people would consider impossible-like building and completing a house and then furnishing it within seven days! As the Lord lives, you will experience great joy today, in Jesus’ name.
Now, what are the things that can bring you great joy? 3 John 1:4 says, “I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.” You experience great joy when you are making disciples for Christ, when you are seeing people being saved from the horrors of darkness into the light of God. In the example I gave above where we built a house in seven days, we were not joyful because we now had a place to sleep, but rather because we now had a bigger platform through which we could win more souls to Christ.
If you have not been winning souls to Christ, you don’t know what joy you have been missing. Jesus said there is joy in heaven whenever one sinner repents (Luke 15:7). So, if God wins a soul through you, and there is rejoicing in heaven, don’t you think that you would also be a partaker of that joy?
This great joy is majorly fuelled by the knowledge of how much Jesus loves us. Philemon 1:7 says there is great joy in love. When we consider how much God’s love has done for us, we are strengthened to do anything just to make sure that His will is done on earth. He has no greater need than for souls to be saved.
ACTION POINT
Make sure you win a soul to Christ today.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR
Psalms 78-80
RCCG HYMN 2: Amazing Grace
RCCG OPEN HEAVEN 20 JUNE 2023 TUESDAY Devotional
TOPIC: DIVINE ENERGY DRINK III
MEMORISE: Matthew 10:8 (KJV)
Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give.
BIBLE TEXT: Matthew 2:1-10 (KJV)
RCCG OPEN HEAVEN 20 JUNE 2023 Devotional MESSAGE
Beyond great joy, there is a higher concentration of this energy drink which is called ‘Exceeding Great Joy’. In our Bible reading for today, when the wise men who had been traveling a long way, looking for the new born King saw the star again, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy. They continued on their journey as if they had just started. Exceeding great joy gives you the ability to go the extra mile, to do exceeding great things that ordinary people cannot do.
This exceeding great joy comes from the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 5:18). When you get this concentration of joy, people will assume that you are drunk. Imagine seeing two people asking a man who has been lame all his life to stand and walk. That doesn’t make any sense, but it is only possible when you are filled with the Holy Ghost.
One unique thing about this concentration of joy is that as you utilise it, you get even more of it. If you have ever seen someone who the doctors say has only a few more weeks to live and you pray for the fellow, then he or she gets healed and lives for many more decades after that, you would get a new rush of exceeding great joy. Your faith would increase and you would be empowered to do more.
There are so many people who are filled with the Holy Ghost but never pray for the sick or try to perform any miracle. Once, when I was crying to God to empower me to work miracles, He told me, “Keep quiet. Have you used the power that I have given you?” I said, “What power?” He answered, “Are you baptised in the Holy Ghost?” I said, “Yes”. He responded, “What does Acts 1:8 say?” I knew what it says, but then I didn’t feel like I had received any power so I responded, “But, I don’t feel powerful” to which He replied, “Did I say the just shall live by feelings or by faith?”
The day after conversation, a woman brought her dying child who had not slept for days, to me for prayers. I remembered my conversation with God, so I prayed for the child. After praying, I opened my eyes to see that the child had fallen asleep. When he woke up, he was completely fine. That boosted my faith and filled my heart with exceeding great joy. I am grateful that He is still filling me with exceeding great joy and working many great miracles through me. He can do the same for you if you surrender all to Him.
KEY POINT
Use the power you received when you were baptised in the Holy Ghost to work miracles through faith in Christ Jesus.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR
Psalms 81-88
RCCG HYMN 21: Standing On The Promises Of Christ My King
RCCG OPEN HEAVEN 21 JUNE 2023 WEDNESDAY DEVOTIONAL
TOPIC: DIVINE ENERGY DRINK IV
MEMORISE: Mark 10:27 (KJV)
And Jesus looking upon them saith, With men it is impossible, but not with God, with God all things are possible.
BIBLE TEXT: Psalm 126:1-6 (KJV)
RCCG OPEN HEAVEN 21 JUNE 2023 DEVOTIONAL MESSAGE
There is yet a more concentrated energy drink from heaven that is called ‘Joy Unspeakable’. Joy unspeakable enables you to do miracles that even you will think you are dreaming when you remember them. Psalm 126:1 says, “When the LORD turned again the captivity of Zion, we were like them that dream”.
Joy unspeakable gives you the ability to do the kind of miracles that you will find difficult to share with people, as they may not be able to believe them.
I had an experience that took me years before I could share. I had gone out on a prayer walk in the middle of the night – deep into the bush where I could be alone to pray. I had my torch with me, but after praying for some time, the battery died and I needed to find my way out in that darkness. I then remembered something I was taught in primary school: that if the room is dark and you close your eyes for a while then open them, the place will look brighter.
I closed my eyes for a while and then opened them. When I opened my eyes, the moon was shining so bright; everywhere was as bright as day. I walked out of the bush to the main road, then looked up again and didn’t see the moon. I know you probably don’t believe me, but it happened.
There was a young man whose aunty died and then was embalmed. He was working in Lagos and it took eleven days before he could get permission from work to go home. He got home, entered the room where the woman was laid, carrying the deceased’s little child. He took a handkerchief that we had anointed at one of our programmes and laid it on the corpse. He prayed, but then nothing happened. He wasn’t really expecting anything to happen anyway, he was just trying his faith.
Sad, he turned to leave the room. As he got to the door, he heard a sound behind him. On looking back, he discovered that his aunt who had been dead for eleven days was sitting upright. When he shared the testimony, a lot of people didn’t believe, but it was true.
I have good news for you: My Daddy will fill your life with mighty testimonies and unspeakable joy in the mighty name of
RCCG OPEN HEAVEN 21 JUNE 2023 PRAYER POINT
Father, empower me so mightily that I will begin to experience miracles that people will find hard to believe, in Jesus’ name.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR
Psalms 89-94
RCCG HYMN 26: There Shall Be Showers Of Blessing
RCCG OPEN HEAVEN 22 JUNE 2023 THURSDAY DEVOTIONAL
TOPIC: WHEN GOD STEPS IN
MEMORISE: Psalm 62:7 (KJV)
In God is my salvation and my glory: The rock of my strength and my refuge is in God.
BIBLE TEXT: Exodus 14:9-28 (KJV)
RCCG OPEN HEAVEN 22 JUNE 2023 DEVOTIONAL MESSAGE
When God steps into the situation of a man, we call it a divine encounter. A divine encounter is actually a collision between God – with His supernatural powers and human beings – with their helplessness.
In Luke 7:11-15, a widow – on her way to bury her only son met Jesus – in whose presence is fulness of joy (Psalm 16:11). The result was a collision that caused joy to swallow up sorrow. The widow’s sorrow ended and she returned home rejoicing.
The Almighty God is going to collide with you today and you will experience a great transformation, in Jesus’ name.
During one of our programmes some years ago, the Lord gave me a revelation for someone in the meeting and I announced: “The Lord said there is someone here who should have been married but her mother says she would not get married. If the mother does not repent, she will be dead within a week”.
A lady that was of a marriageable age believed the word was for her and she went home to tell her mother. The next day, the mother, furious, came with her to see me, saying, “My daughter came and informed me that you said I will die within a week”.
I told her exactly what God had said, explaining that I hadn’t mentioned any this, she asked the girl to leave the office, then turned to me, “It is not that I don’t want her to marry. It’s just that she is the one taking care of me. Once she marries, there will be no one to take care of me”. I replied, “That is not a problem; I will talk to the husband and they will continue to take care of you”. The mother then said, “In that case, she can marry”. Six months later, the daughter was married.
In our Bible reading for today, we saw how God stepped into the situation of the Israelites and brought doom upon the Egyptians. This tells us that we must be careful when dealing with children of God because Jesus can decide to step into the situation at any time. When He decides to step into a situation, you had better be sure that you are on His side. If you surrender to Him willingly, then He will collide with all the forces against you but if you are not on His side, a collision with Him will bring about a negative result it did for the Egyptians.
PRAYER POINT
Father, please step into my situation and collide with any force opposing me, in Jesus’ name.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR
Psalms 95-103
RCCG HYMN 9: Immortal, Invisible God Only Wise
RCCG OPEN HEAVEN 23 JUNE 2023 FRIDAY DEVOTIONAL
TOPIC: ALONE WITH GOD
MEMORISE: Luke 4:42 (KJV)
And when it was day, he departed and went into a desert place: and the people sought him, and came unto him, and stayed him, that he should not depart from them.
BIBLE TEXT: Psalm 84:1-12 (KJV)
RCCG OPEN HEAVEN 23 JUNE 2023 DEVOTIONAL MESSAGE
The greatest experiences a man can have in life are drawn from the moments he spends alone with God. Those are times when destinies are shaped. If you look through the Scriptures and study people who achieved great feats for God, you will notice that all of them spent quality time alone with God.
In Exodus 24:18, Moses had been on the mountain for 40 days and 40 nights spending time alone with God. No wonder he is the only man who ever saw God. After seeing the back of God in Exodus 33:23, the Bible says the glory that shone on his face was so bright that people could not look at him. That is what happens when you spend time with God: His glory rubs off on you and it is evident to everyone around you.
Many times when the Bible talks about Elijah, he was on the mountain top. You go to the mountain top because you want to get away from where people are so that you can be alone with God. What was the result of Elijah’s constant fellowship with God? He could call down fire from heaven anytime he wanted.He was also the first prophet to ever bring the dead back to life.
It is in those times that you spend with God that He enlarges your capacity to do greater things than you used to. Joseph was a very busy man in Potiphar’s house, overseeing his master’s many great possessions. All that time that he was busy, he didn’t grow beyond being a dreamer. When he was locked up in prison however, he had time to be alone with God and grew from being a dreamer to becoming an interpreter of dreams.
Your greatest potential will only be realised when you spend quality time alone with God. During Jesus’ earthly ministry, He never joked with His quiet time (Luke 6:12,21:37).
No wonder He was able to fulfil His destiny as tough as it was. Be intentional about spending quality time with God – praising Him, praying, fasting, studying and meditating on His word. Don’t joke with your quiet time with God; it is your most important meeting every day.
REFLECTION
How many minutes/hours do you spend alone with God daily?
RCCG BIBLE IN ONE YEAR
Psalms 104-106
RCCG HYMN 7: I Am Thine O Lord
RCCG OPEN HEAVEN 24 JUNE 2023 SATURDAY DEVOTIONAL
TOPIC: OBEY YOUR PASTOR
MEMORISE: Acts 2:42 (KJV)
And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in the breaking of bread and in prayers.
BIBLE TEXT: Hebrews 13:17-18 (KJV)
RCCG OPEN HEAVEN 24 JUNE 2023 DEVOTIONAL MESSAGE
If you have chosen someone to be your pastor, then it is only right that you obey him or her. There are many people who call me Daddy and say I am the spiritual authority over them, but I know that they are only deceiving themselves because they do not obey my instructions when they are contrary to what they want. If you don’t obey the fellow with spiritual authority over you, then you are not really under his covering. Obey your pastor so that whatever God wants to give you through him or her can get to you.
Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you. Hebrews 13:17
A pastor’s work becomes easy when he or she has a cooperative congregation who practice what they are taught from the pulpit. When you hear a message from the altar that is in line with the word of God, do it. If I show you in the Scriptures where God says you should do that thing, then you have to obey. If you disobey the word of God from the altar, it is not really the pastor you are disobeying but the Lord who sent him.
There are many people who obey the word of God partially. They obey the Scriptures they find convenient and ignore the rest. The reason many of such people don’t get their expected results as Christians is that their obedience is not complete. Until your obedience is complete, you cannot resist the devil and see him flee. James 4:7 says you must submit to God first.
Please my beloved, don’t be stubborn like the Israelites, constantly provoking Moses to the point where he eventually got angry and took an action that caused God to prevent him from entering into the Promised Land (Numbers 20:1-12). Don’t discourage or provoke your pastor; rather, encourage him or her by submitting to his or her authority (Philemon 1:21).
ACTION POINT
Do something for your pastor today to encourage him or her for all the labour he or she exerts over you.
RCCG BIBLE IN ONE YEAR
Psalms 107-111
RCCG HYMN 5: Blessed Assurance
RCCG OPEN HEAVEN 25 JUNE 2023 SUNDAY DEVOTIONAL
TOPIC: SPIRITUAL SUPERIORITY
MEMORISE: Deuteronomy 4:24 (KJV)
For the LORD thy God is a consuming fire, even a jealous God.
BIBLE TEXT: 2 Kings 6:15-23 (KJV)
RCCG OPEN HEAVEN 25 JUNE 2023 DEVOTIONAL MESSAGE
Spiritual Superiority is what can make you deal with your enemies so completely that you make a mockery of them. That is what happened in Colossians 2:15 which says, “And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.”
2 Kings 6:8-20 tells us that a king considered Elisha as a threat, so he sent an entire army to arrest him. This however turned out to be an impossible mission because Elisha demonstrated spiritual superiority by arresting the entire army when they got to his place. As if that was not enough, he also led them as captives into their enemy’s territory.
When God sees a man or woman who is committed to a life of holiness, He will use that fellow to make an open shame of the enemy and arrest arresters. If you get really close to God, you won’t pray for your enemies to be destroyed because the Bible says in Psalm 23:5:
Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
If all enemies are dead, who will behold your glory? I am praying for you that God will take you to a level that in the very presence of your enemies, He will be glorified in you, in Jesus’ name.
Your ability to exhibit spiritual superiority over the devil happens when you become really close to God. How close do you want to be to God – the Consuming Fire? The elders say that when a leaf stays long with the soap, it will become soap. If you stay sufficiently close to the Consuming Fire, you too will become a consuming fire. If you really want to be able to put your enemies to shame, then you need to get close to the Consuming Fire.
The price to pay for this is complete holiness and constant fellowship with God. Fasting and prayers must be your lifestyle.
Without holiness, you cannot even have access to the Lord, talk less of being close to Him. Live holy and you will see the enemy begging you to release them after you have arrested them.
KEY POINT
When you get sufficiently close to the Consuming Fire, you will also become a consuming fire against your enemies.
RCCG BIBLE IN ONE YEAR
Psalms 112-118
RCCG HYMN 23: Take My Life And Let It Be
RCCG OPEN HEAVEN 26 JUNE 2023 MONDAY DEVOTIONAL
TOPIC: YOU ARE NOTHING WITHOUT GOD
MEMORISE: Psalm 103:10 (KJV)
He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.
BIBLE TEXT: Luke 7:36-47
RCCG OPEN HEAVEN 26 JUNE 2023 DEVOTIONAL MESSAGE
In 1 Kings 3:4, Solomon decided to give God a really special offering. He sacrificed 1,000 cattle. The priests must have been very surprised, but then Solomon considered the circumstances behind his birth and felt unworthy to be king. Ordinarily, Solomon should have been hated by all, but there he was, the one chosen to be king. He knew he did not deserve what he had received from God so he spared nothing when it came to thanking Him.
Many a time, you don’t thank God enough because you think you deserve all that He has given you, but if you look closely, you would see that you are wrong. The day God pointed out to me that because I am not a child from the first wife of my father, I ought not to be used by Him according to the law, but that His mercy had found me usable, I became more humble in my thanksgiving. Isaiah 64:6 says:
But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.
If you think your blessings are a result of your hard work, you should go and see some people who are working far harder than you, yet are not rich. If you think your success thus far is based on how smart you are, you need to go to the asylum and see many brilliant people who have lost their minds. The fact that you can even wake up in the morning is enough reason to give thanks to God.
Psalm 3:5 says, “I laid me down and slept; I awaked; for the LORD sustained me.”
If you think deeply, you will see that you don’t deserve any of the things that God has given to you. You will see that it is in Him that you live and move and even have your being (Acts 17:28). You will see that without Him, you can do nothing (John 15:5).
I don’t know about you, but as for me, I know that I would have been long gone if it wasn’t for Him. I know that everything I am is as a result of His tender mercies towards me, so I will praise Him with all my heart. I will never hold back anything in giving Him thanks.
ACTION POINT
Spend at least one hour just thanking God for all that you are and have today.
RCCG BIBLE IN ONE YEAR
Psalm 119
RCCG HYMN 6: I Am So Glad That Our Father In Heav’n
RCCG OPEN HEAVEN 27 JUNE 2023 TUESDAY DEVOTIONAL
TOPIC: WHAT/WHO DO YOU WORSHIP?
MEMORISE: Ezekiel 14:3 (KJV)
Son of man, these men have set up their idols in their heart, and put the stumbling block of their iniquity before their face: should I be enquired of at all by them?
BIBLE TEXT: Exodus 20:3-5 (KJV)
RCCG OPEN HEAVEN 27 JUNE 2023 DEVOTIONAL MESSAGE
When you ask people who or what they worship, they are most likely to tell you ‘God’, but then, many people are worshipping other things or persons apart from God. Some people worship their spouses, children, money, some their bellies, some their image on social media and, believe it or not, some worship their means of transportation.
When I was in the grammar school, we had a teacher who had a bicycle that he loved so much. Whenever he got to a place that was muddy, he would get down from the bicycle and carry it He preferred for his feet to get dirty than his bicycle. He worshipped his bicycle.
Many come to God in prayers and get nothing from Him because He can see in their heart that there is an idol there. He knows that they only worship Him with their mouths, that their hearts are far from Him (Matthew 15:8). Since He is not their God, then He ignores them. If at all the Lord answers, He does so according to the idols in their hearts.
Thus saith the Lord GOD; Every man of the house of Israel that setteth up his idols in his heart, and putteth the stumbling block of his iniquity before his face, and cometh to the prophet; I the LORD will answer him that cometh according to the multitude of his idols. Ezekiel 14:4 (KJV)
In Numbers 22:19-35, Balaam valued the treasures that the king promised him more than the instruction of God. After God had told him not to heed the king’s call, he still went back to God when the servants came back to ask if he should go, so God answered him according to the idol in his heart, telling him to go. On his way, there was an angel waiting to kill him. Had it not been for the eyes of his donkey that were opened to see the angel, he would have been dead as a result of the idol of greed in his heart.
Our God is a jealous God. He said in Exodus 34:14, “For thou shalt worship no other god: for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God”. The moment you regard anyone or anything above God, He will leave you alone and believe me honestly, the worst thing that can ever happen to a person is for God to leave him or her.
REFLECTION
Do a thorough check on your heart and be honest with yourself. If there is something you regard higher than God, ask Him for mercy today.
RCCG BIBLE IN ONE YEAR
Psalms 120-133
RCCG HYMN 17: Praise My Soul The King Of Heaven
RCCG OPEN HEAVEN 28 JUNE 2023 WEDNESDAY DEVOTIONAL
TOPIC: ENTERING GOD’S PRESENCE I
MEMORISE: Isaiah 26:2 (KJV)
Open ye the gates, that the righteous nation which keepeth the truth may enter in.
BIBLE TEXT: Psalm 24:3-6
RCCG OPEN HEAVEN 28 JUNE 2023 DEVOTIONAL MESSAGE
The Bible tells us in Psalm 100:4 that the entrance into God’s presence has a gate. When you see a gate in a place, you know it is there is so as to restrict access. Whatever is inside the place must be so valuable that they don’t want any unauthorised person to have access to it.
There are many treasures in the presence of God and not just anybody can enjoy them. One of such treasures is fullness of joy (Psalm 16:11) and liberty (2 Corinthians 3:17). Anyone who has entered the presence of God will tell you that it is a place that you don’t want to ever come out from.
In 2 Corinthians 5:8, Apostle Paul said, “We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.”
The first criterion for accessing God’s presence is holiness. God cannot stand sin. If you have any form of sin in your life, the gate into His presence will be shut against you. Psalm 24:3-4 says:
Who shall ascend into the hill of the LORD? or who shall stand in his holy place? He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully.
Only those with clean hands and a pure heart can be allowed to ascend into the presence of the Lord. If your hands have been soiled with sin, forget about it. If your heart is not pure, if you habour impure thoughts in that heart, the gate into God’s presence will be shut against you.
Open to me the gates of righteousness: I will go into them, and I will praise the LORD: This gate of the LORD, into which the righteous shall enter.
Psalm 118:19
The gates into the presence of God are called the gates of righteousness; if you are not righteous, you cannot go through. The One whose presence you want to enter is a holy God; you must be holy before you can get in there. Joseph had to shave and change his clothes before appearing before Pharaoh (Genesis 41:14); how much more when you want to enter the presence of the King of kings.
KEY POINT
To enter the presence of God, you must be holy.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR
Psalms 134-140
RCCG HYMN 28: What Can Wash Away My Stain
RCCG OPEN HEAVEN 29 JUNE 2023 THURSDAY DEVOTIONAL
TOPIC: ENTERING GOD’S PRESENCE II
MEMORISE: Psalm 50:23 (KJV)
Whoso offereth praise glorifieth me, and to him who ordereth his conversation aright will I shew the salvation of God.
BIBLE TEXT: Psalm 118:19-21
RCCG OPEN HEAVEN 29 JUNE 2023 DEVOTIONAL MESSAGE
Yesterday we identified righteousness as a precondition to access God’s presence. Once a person has clean hands and a pure heart, he or she would be able to access God’s presence with thanksgiving and praises as stated in Psalm 100:4:
Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.
If you try to get into His presence with complaints or even requests, the gate will not be opened to you. Only those who approach Him with thanksgiving are attended to. However, your thanksgiving will get you into His gates, but your praises will get you into His courts. Being in His courts is definitely a step higher than just getting into the gates.
The keepers of the gates always check for how well you can praise God before they admit you in. If they see that you are not one who is willing to praise God, they will lock you out. David seemed to be talking to the keepers of the gate when he said in Psalm 118:19, “Open to me the gates of righteousness: I will go into them, and I will praise the LORD:”
It is as though God had instructed them thus: “If anyone comes here with complaints or requests without thanksgiving or praise, don’t open this gate for the fellow”. That is why when Jesus was us to pray in Luke 11:1-4, He said we are to start with, “Our Father who hath in heaven, hallowed be thy name”. If you start your prayers that way, you are guaranteed access to the presence of God, where you can then present your requests.
But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.
John 4:23
Since Father seeks true worshippers, it means that whenever you worship Him, you draw down His presence to wherever you are. Psalm 22:3 says that He inhabits the praises of His children. You won’t have to struggle to get into His presence again, if you would just fill your heart with thanksgiving and praise.
ACTION POINT
Spend at least one hour just praising God today.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR
Psalms 141-150
RCCG HYMN 16: Praise Him, Praise Him, Jesus Our Blessed Redeemer
RCCG OPEN HEAVEN 30 JUNE 2023 FRIDAY DEVOTIONAL
TOPIC: GOD’S BLANK CHEQUE
MEMORISE: Daniel 12:3 (KJV)
And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars forever and ever.
BUBLE TEXT: John 15:16
RCCG OPEN HEAVEN 30 JUNE 2023 DEVOTIONAL MESSAGE
If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.
In other words, Jesus was saying in the verse above that, “I will give you a blank cheque”. Today, we will discuss how to obtain this divine blank cheque.
God gives blank cheques to people whose hearts pant after His kingdom on earth.
Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.
John 15:16
When you seek God’s kingdom first above all else, then He will give you everything that you could ever need (Matthew 6:33). I have always said that God is a playwright, having written the script of everything that is happening on earth. In 1 Kings 3:5-14, when God gave Solomon a blank cheque, He already knew the end from the beginning. He knew that the boy would ask for wisdom to rule God’s people, so when he did, the Lord added riches, peace and everything else a man could ever want.
When God sees that you have a heart that is interested in the salvation of the souls and in the establishment of His kingdom on earth, you will get from Him all those things other people are struggling for.
Seek God’s kingdom diligently; seek to ensure that His will is done on earth as it is in heaven. You will see how He will embarrass you with so many blessings that you would be the one saying, “Lord, it is enough”. Give to the work of God, go out on evangelism regularly, follow up new converts to ensure they abide in the flock of Christ. Let God see your dedication to His work and He will surely reward you with a blank cheque.
REFLECTION
When was the last time you won a soul for God?
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR
Proverbs 1-3
RCCG HYMN 24: That Wonderful Name
Download RCCG Open Heaven June 2023 Devotional PDF
