RCCG Open Heavens Devotional Thursday 31 January 2013 PRAYER PRODUCES COMFORT By Pastor E. A. Adeboye

RCCG Open Heavens Devotional Thursday 31 January 2013 

PRAYER PRODUCES COMFORT 

By Pastor E. A. Adeboye

Memorise: "To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn;" Isaiah 61:2 

Read: Isaiah 61:1-3

Bible in one year: Deuteronomy 10-12

Prayer point: Father, comfort me on every side this year.

Another benefit of prayer ¡s that It makes God to comfort His children who are mourning. it is true that one of God’s titles is Comforter. it ¡s also true that God loves to comfort those who mourn in Zion according to Isaiah 61 :1-3. Yet, as much as God wants to comfort you, on several occasions, He may not do anything until you pray. In this respect, prayer confirms to God that you truly desire the comfort that He can give. However, who are those that should expect divine comfort? These are those whose lives have no colour, taste or attraction. If there is nothing that can attract others ¡n your life, you surely need divine comfort. If you have lost all you had to a fire, and what is left is nothing but ashes, you need divine comfort. If you are mourning over the loss of something precious, you need to be comforted. if you are depressed over a trying situation, you need comfort in any way you need divine comfort this season, the Lord will comfort you in Jesus name. God is the greatest comforter. When He comforts you, He will turn your point of sorrow into your greatest source of joy. In other words, after God’s comfort comes, whenever you look back in retrospect to the cause of sorrow, you would be glad ¡t granted you access to divine comfort. When He comforts you, He will turn your point of sorrow into your greatest source of joy.

One Bible character who suffered loss was Job. Boy! That man knew sorrow! He could vividly tell you the colour of sorrow. Occasioned by his trial of faith, Job lost on every side- his Family, Relationships, Business Empire, Servants, Health, etc. He had only a fringe of his life, being so close to death. But eventually when the Lord restored Job, the same man from whom virtually all men ran, became a centre of attraction (Job 42:10-17). The life that had no colour but only ashes began to radiate in glowing colours. Suddenly, there was restoration. The compound interest on his losses was calculated and given to him. He also lived long enough to enjoy his blessings. Have you suffered losses? As you engage ¡n heartfelt prayer this season, your ashes will turn into radiant colours. All you lost shall be restored triple folds. Those who ignored you will soon discover how indispensable you are and they will start to pursue you. It is your season of comfort.

RCCG Open Heavens Devotional Wednesday 30 January 2013 THE ANOINTING COMPARED By Pastor E. A. Adeboye

RCCG Open Heavens Devotional Wednesday 30 January 2013 

THE ANOINTING COMPARED 

By Pastor E. A. Adeboye

Memorise: "

Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father" 

John 14:12

Read: 2Kings 13:20-21

Bible in one year: Deuteronomy 7-9

Prayer point: Father, release your new anointing upon Your church all over the world so that we can truly and powerfully represent You wherever we are

The difference between the old and the new anointing is that the new anointing begins where the old ends. Prior to the events of 2 Kings 2:9-12, Elisha hardly did anything supernatural; he was only serving his master. But after Elijah left the scene, the story changed. Similarly, it was after Moses died that the Lord commissioned Joshua to operate with the new anointing (Joshua 1 :1-2). Another difference between the old and new anointing ¡s that the new succeeds where the old failed. This implies ¡t can outperform the old. In Joshua 1 :3-9, God told Joshua that the assignment that Moses could not complete with the old anointing should be completed by him with the new anointing. Moses successfully released the Israelites from captivity in Egypt but could not take them to the Promised Land, this Joshua accomplished with the new anointing.

By the grace of God, I spent three years studying one Bible character i loved so much - Elijah. He was powerful, bold, holy, and obedient. He stood in God’s presence and was a terror to the devil. He was able to perform 7 outstanding miracles with the old anointing on him. On the other hand, as I began to study about Elisha, I found him more interesting. He performed a total of 14 outstanding miracles. Elijah raised somebody from the dead during his life time. Elisha performed 13 remarkable miracles before he died, but to show that the new anointing could do twice as much as the old, after his death, his dried bones raised the dead. In John 14:12, Jesus said that we can do what He did and much more because we shall be operating in the new anointing. In Mark 5:25-34, the woman with the issue of blood touched Jesus’ garment and was made whole; but in Acts 5:1 4-16, we read that the shadow of Peter began to heal the sick. In the time of Jesus ¡t was His garment but ¡n the days of Peter, it was his shadow. You too can perform greater signs and wonders by virtue of the new anointing. Beyond shadows, if you truly carry the new anointing in an overflowing manner, the sick may get healed by merely seeing you. Your voice can conduct deliverance. Unvoiced wishes can materialize because of the new anointing. Do you have it?

RCCG Open Heavens Devotional Tuesday 29 January 2013 THANKS: A DELICACY By Pastor E. A. Adeboye

RCCG Open Heavens Devotional Tuesday 29 January 2013 

THANKS: A DELICACY 

By Pastor E. A. Adeboye

Memorise: "Offer unto God thanksgiving; and pay thy vows unto the Most High" Psalm 50:14 

Read: Psalm 50:7-15

Bible in one year: Deuteronomy 4-6

Action point: Thank God for every member of your family. Also thank god for what He is doing in the body of Christ worldwide

Thanksgiving is not only a highly priced spiritual substance and a passport into God’s presence; it is also a form of meal to God. In today’s reading, God clearly declared that being the Owner of the earth and everything in it; He knows exactly where every beast of the field is. In other words, God knows the location of every element that constitutes our food on earth. Some people hide their crop harvest from God as if He was not the One who gave them the harvest in the first place. Can you truly hide what you have from the One who gave it to you? The attitude of some people makes God hide His needs from them. If God has a need and He hides such a need from you, it ¡s most unfortunate. This clearly shows that there ¡s no intimacy in your relationship with Him. If God needs something and you are in a position to meet that need, but He bypasses you to inform someone else, it could mean that you are either unacceptable to Him, or that He has rejected you. May the Lord not reject you in Jesus name. If you are truly one of God’s own, He will not hide His needs that you are empowered to meet from you. Moreover, God asks:

“Will I eat the flesh of bulls or drink the blood of goats?” Psalm 50:13

This means that when God ¡s hungry, it is not for the food we eat but for a special food called thanks. Hence in verse 14, the Psalmist Asaph says, Give God thanks. Giving thanks is a special type of meat that God likes. The way it is presented to Him will determine its grade: it could be ordinary, special or even a delicacy. How do you feel when you are eating your most favourite food? Serve God thanks with an attitude, fervency, genuineness and originality that will make it a delicacy to Him and see if that meal will not provoke Him to give you a blessing you cannot forget in a hurry.

COVENANT PARTNERS February 2013 Prayer Guide

COVENANT PARTNERS February 2013 Prayer Guide "But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall." Malachi 4:2   It was few weeks ago that the sun of year 2013 appeared with the Sun of righteousness Himself standing by it. The message of the Sun sent to us through His representative, Pastor E.A.Adeboye, at the very beginning, has given us the assurance that, as we journey towards the Sun of Signs and Wonders, very soon, in His wonderful ways, either as a Nation, family, or an individual, the shadow of our burdens will be cast behind us. Naturally speaking, it is noted that the same sun from above that solidifies the clay melts the snow! Hence the manifestation of Signs and Wonders could be in favour of a man or otherwise, depending on the spiritual nature of the person before God. Now, there can be no Signs or Wonders without certain notable challenges. Therefore, this year will also be noted for HIGH PRAISES and INTENSIVE PRAYERS to our God, whose name is WONDERFUL. As we stand before Him like Elijah, praise Him like David, confess Him like Daniel and the three Hebrews, you are welcome into the realms of SIGNS AND WONDERS. WEEK ONE (FEBRUARY 1-2) THANKSGIVING Thank God for His mercy on RCCG. Rom. 9: 15-16 Thank God for what He is doing in Nigeria. Thank God for His mercy all over the world. Thank God for not allowing the enemy to have none of his ways on RCCG Ps. 124. Thank God for His awesome moves in RCCG. Ps 136 Thank God for not allowing perpetual civil war to exist in many part of Africa Thank God for what He has done for you and every individual in RCCG. Ps 138 Thank let us Bless the name of our Lord Jesus Christ for the growth of Christianity in the Asian Continent. Thank God for Daddy and Mummy G.O and for His mercy on them Exod. 33:19. Thank God for calling and backing up Daddy and Mummy GO in the ministry. Thank God for mercy on the family of Daddy GO. Thank God for divine health in the family of Daddy G.O Bless the name of the Lord for backing Daddy G. O up in the ministry Thank God for all the souls won through Daddy G..O 's ministry Thank God for not allowing the enemy to cage us and our home. Thank God for providing for our home. Bless the name of the Lord for His mercies over our home. WEEK TWO (FEBRUARY 3-9) FOUNDATION FOR SIGN AND WONDERS Ask God to open the eyes of His children to see their spiritual state Ask for unity in the body of Christ all over the world. Acts. 2:1-5 Pray for pure and total repentance in the body of Christ Ps 51 Pray that people of God will be willing to wait on the LORD and renew their strength. Isaiah 40:28-31. Pray that people of God will stop relying on their understanding. Prov. 3:5-6 Pray for right association for the children of God. Prov. 13:20 Pray that God will open the eyes of His Children to the importance of giving.3:9 Pray that God will help his Children to depart from wicked acts. Prov. 15:8 Pray that the fear of the Lord will rule the people of God .Prov.3:7-8 Pray for the heart to obey the great command Mark. 16:15-17 Pray that people of God will abide in Him. John 15:1-16 Ask God for the grace to love one another. John 15:17 Pray for the people of God to be people of Integrity. WEEK THREE (FEBRUARY 10-16) PRAYER FOR DADDY G.O Pray for peace in the health of Daddy G. O Pray for God's mercy concerning the healthy family living Pray for more physical strength for Daddy GO as he clocks 71 Pray that God will favour the family of Daddy GO with divine health. Pray that the hand of the lord will be upon Daddy G.O to out run the Ahab that is working against their ministry as he celebrate his 71st birthday. Pray that every cloud of darkness that may be gathering around the ministerial assignment of Daddy and Mummy G.O should disappear for the light to prevail Pray that no secret of the enemy shall be hidden in the Lives, home and ministries of Daddy and Mummy G.O. Pray that God will surround Daddy G O's family as mountains surround Jerusalem. Ps.125:2 PRAYER FOF EASTER LET'S GO A FISHING Give all the glory to God for the reality of the power of resurrection. Matt. 28:1-4. Thank God for using this program to populate His kingdom. Acts. 2:37-47. Pray for more strength for Daddy G O and all the Pastors, Ministers and workers, that God will use them mightily this Easter Let's Go A Fishing. Deut.33:25; Josh.14:11; 1Chron.29:12; Josh. 14:9. Pray for divine visitation during this Easter Let's Go A Fishing all over the world. Ps.111:9; Ps.113:9-10; Jer.20:113; Gen.49:25. Pray for the purpose of God to be established in the life of God's children in this program.Eccl.8:6; Rom.9:1; Eph.1:11. Ask God to deliver every captive of the mighty.Isa.49:24-26. Pray for full restoration in this Easter programPs.126:1-6. Commit the Engineering department, Choir, Ushers, Prayer Warriors and other workers in the church into the hands of God in this program. Pray against the kidnappers, ritual killers and armed robbers. Ps.124:6 Prov. 15:30. Pray for your Province, Pastors, Ministers, Workers and yourself. WEEK FOUR FEBRUARY 17-23 PRAY FOR THE WORLD. Ask God to be merciful to us in Nigeria especially the children of God Exod.20:6 Ask God to visit Syria and Libya with mercy Romans 9 :16 Plead the blood of Jesus to cancel the covenant of death and destruction of lives in Nigeria and the country of Africa where ritual killings is prevalent Pray that Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ will be prevalent in the Western world where gun violent is the order of the day. Send the spirit of confusion of language into every camp of the enemy where intimidations, killings, bombing and destructions of properties is originating from all over the world. gen. 11:1-9. Decree that every gathering to kill and destroy be frustrated by the Blood of Jesus in Pakistan and Afghanistan. Isa. 54:15. Pray against civil war in Mali. Decree peace upon Abuja in Nigeria. Pray against unrest and civil war in all African countries. Pray that the terrorists and all other related sect from today should begin to attack and destroy each other continually forever. Isa 49:24-26, Gen.11:1-9 PRAYER FOR APRIL 2013 HOLY GHOST SERVICE FOR CHILDREN Thank God for all the past Special Holy Ghost Services for Children Ps. 127:1-3 Pray that God will confirm the word of Daddy G.O concerning his request for seventy thousand children to mark; his 70th birthday this, year Thank God for all the unusual miracles He is going to do this time around Deut. 11:3; Jn.6:2 Pray that God will be merciful and remember the barren and those suffering from secondary infertility in this program as Daddy has asked God for seventy thousand children from God. 1Sam.1:16-20. Plead the Blood of Jesus to frustrate every programmed evil accident and traffic jam on Lagos - Ibadan express way on every roads of Nigeria that weekend. Pray that God will use Daddy G O like never before that weekend to use the word of God to reshape every altered Destiny in the life of the children that will be in the program. Pray that God will anoint all the children to fulfill their destinies. WEEK FIVE FEBRUARY 24-28  PERSONAL RETREAT, WAITING, DEDICATION AND WORSHIP "He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall: 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." Isa.40:29-31 Confession of sin. Zech. 3:1,3; Ex. 20:1-5 Repentance. Zech.3:7 Pleading for mercy. Ex. 20:6, Rom. 9:15-16 Ask God to rebuke Satan on your behalf. Zech. 3:2. Ask God to remove every filthy garment, you may be wearing. Zech. 3:4 Ask God for a new garment. Zech. 3:5

RCCG Open Heavens Devotional Monday 28 January 2013 THOSE TO AVOID By Pastor E. A. Adeboye

RCCG Open Heavens Devotional Monday 28 January 2013 

THOSE TO AVOID 

By Pastor E. A. Adeboye

Memorise: "Make no friendship with an angry man; and with a furious man thou shall not go" 

Read: Proverbs 22:24-25

Bible in one year: Deuteronomy 1-3

Key point: Some helpers have become helpless because those they were meant to help have allowed then to take God's place in their lives and ministries

Everyone needs the support of someone else. Our Lord Jesus Christ was not an exception. According to Acts 10:38, He depended on the Holy Spirit throughout His ministry. What of His disciples? After His resurrection, the Lord depended largely on His disciples to continue the work He had started. Earlier, people like Mary Magdalene ministered to Him of their substance while He shared the good news of the Kingdom (Luke 8:13). As a result of people who were ready to support the Lord, Jesus never lacked money or what He needed in the ministry, to the point that He had a treasurer. Even today, when God sends His servant on an assignment, He would give him or her helpers who would sustain the ministry and help to achieve the task. In one way or another, the Lord has given you as a helper to the ministry of your pastor. How effectively have you played this role? God is blessing you so that you can be a blessing to both your leader and the work. Never think all His blessings are limited to you and are yours alone. Concerning supporting the ministry, there is an appropriate portion that should be released in order for you to receive the level of blessing God has ¡n store for you. Ask God on how you should key into the commission and the grace to do so. You will not fail God in Jesus name. Having seen that you need one or more partners, how do you choose one? Proverbs 22:24-25 says you must watch the temperament of the fellow to be chosen. Never choose an angry fellow as a friend or else you could be forced to learn his ways and enter a trap. Apart from your spouse, ¡f the one you call a friend  is highly emotional or temperamental, he would have done you an irredeemable havoc before he comes into his senses. Avoid such people! Avoid those with violent tempers. Avoid anyone of questionable character. Anyone who says you should turn after some other god or powers must be avoided. Never make friends with anyone who will lure you into immorality. No matter how close, such a fellow is a tool in the hands of the enemy to keep you perpetually in bondage. Don’t make friends with thieves, miscreants, lazy or idle people. Check through your list of friends and any that does not fit must he dropped now.

RCCG Open Heavens Devotional Sunday 27 January 2013 LOVE HARNESSES RESOURCES By Pastor E. A. Adeboye

RCCG Open Heavens Devotional Sunday 27 January 2013 

LOVE HARNESSES RESOURCES 

By Pastor E. A. Adeboye

Memorise Colossians 1:8 

Read: Exodus 17: 8-13

Bible in one year: Phillipians 1-4

Prayer point: Father, let the prayer of Jesus on unity in the Body of Christ come to pass. Lord, give me the love that I lack to enable me fit in to the body of Christ.

Of the three orders which soldiers of the Cross of Jesus have received, the Command to love one another ¡s the greatest and most challenging. Many people are working under superiors who they can clearly tell do not like their guts, yet, they have to love them and pray for them even when they sit on their promotion or deny them benefits due to them. May God give you the grace to love the unlovable in Jesus name. Love is the greatest because if we lack it ¡n our midst, we will surely be defeated by our external foes. If love ¡s ¡n place, we will be able to work together as a team, peacefully and in one accord. No satanic force can defeat us if we are in one accord. For instance, when Moses, Aaron and Hur harnessed their resources together, they fought as one and overcame the army of Amalek as seen ¡n today's reading. If you cannot harness the human resources that God has given to you as a leader, ¡t will be difficult to achieve your purpose or God-given goal. To do this, you may have to set aside your  differences or points of arguments and focus on the common goal. Make God’s purpose your top priority!

“And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence .“ Colossians 1:18

Jesus must be number One. The kingdom of God must be given top priority. Christ must be preeminent ¡n everything, not any man, not any leader! Unfortunately, within the Body of Christ, there are some people who like to have preeminence. They are the likes of Diotrephes who ignored the apostle of love - John the Beloved (3 john 9). Such people want to always be where things are happening. They may lobby for certain positions or assignments that will make them to be seen as relevant. They will want to take the glory for all they achieve and even what they have contributed nothing to If they are not in a committee, they will fight and condemn it. They will paint a picture as ¡f a project succeeded only because they were there. These are babies and very carnally minded people. Such people may not make it to Heaven but if they do, they may not have any reward since they loved men’s praise and they have received ¡t. If you are like this, repent today!

RCCG Open Heavens Devotional Saturday 26 January 2013 GIFTS MUST BE PROFITABLE By Pastor E. A. Adeboye

RCCG Open Heavens Devotional Saturday 26 January 2013

GIFTS MUST BE PROFITABLE 

By Pastor E. A. Adeboye

Memorise: "But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal" 1 Corinthians 12:7 

Read: 1 Corinthians 12:7-10

Bible in one year: Ephesians 4-6

Action point: One reason some people seek for more gifts of the Spirit but fail to receive, is because the ones they have been given have not yielded any profit to the Giver.

A Bible character, who shined brightly wherever he went, was Joseph. Pharaoh declared ¡n Genesis 41:38-39, that the reason for his uniqueness was the presence of the Spirit of the living God ¡n him. The Holy Spirit cannot be inside of you and you would be seen as an ordinary fellow. Are you born again and have experienced the baptism of the Holy Spirit? If yes, then you are not ordinary! You have the potentials to be extraordinary. Any believer, who is still living an ordinary life when he or she has the supernatural God on the inside, is simply a potential waster and a God-hoarder. Such a fellow I ¡s completely opposite of what the world needs to see today. If you have the Holy Spirit inside of you, to what extent have you stirred up the supernatural ¡n your life?

One common classification of the gifts of the Holy Spirit outlined ¡n 1 Corinthians 1 2:7-1 0 ¡s into three groups, with each group having 3 gifts each. First are the power gifts, these are: the gift of faith, healing and the gift of the working of miracles. Second are the vocal gifts which include the gift of divers tongues, interpretation of tongues and prophecy. The third category being that of the revelational gifts is comprised of: the word of knowledge, the word of wisdom and the discerning of spirits. Through personal study, I came to the conclusion that five of the gifts are revelational gifts. Pure prophecy ¡s an offshoot of divine revelation, and it ¡s impossible to accurately interpret tongues except the Holy

Spirit has revealed its meaning to you.

“But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal” 1 Corinthians 12:7

From this scripture, we understand that God the Holy Spirit is profit oriented like a business man. The Holy Spirit is the One who releases His gifts to His children. He does so not just for fun but to obtain profit. He wants the Kingdom of God increased by the use of His gifts. He wants God’s Kingdom enlarged by His gifts. He wants more souls to be saved and to come to the knowledge of Jesus Christ through His gifts. Has He given you one or more gifts? How have you utilized such gifts - to your advantage or for His profit? As far as He is concerned, any gift He has given to you which does not actively contribute to the profit of the Godhead is nothing but i waste. Stop wasting His gifts! Repent and engage His gifts properly from today.

RCCG Open Heavens Devotional Friday 25 January 2013 BE SEPARATE FROM SIN By Pastor E. A. Adeboye

RCCG Open Heavens Devotional Friday 25 January 2013 

BE SEPARATE FROM SIN 

By Pastor E. A. Adeboye

Memorise: "Then they cry unto the LORD in their trouble, and He saved them out of their distresses" Psalm107:19

Read: Psalm 107: 17-20

Bible in one year: Ephesians 1-3

Key point: Believers who often fall and rise out of sin often fall and rise out of sickness

Sin, sickness and death have a common link. If you read Deuteronomy 28:15-68, you will see a wíde spectrum of problems that sin can cause. May you not partake of these curses in Jesus name; and if sin is already bringing such judgment on you, may the Lord have mercy on you today. If you understand the effect of this link, you will easily understand therefore that if you can keep sin at bay, you will succeed in eradicating the problems associated with sin. When the paralytic man was brought to the Lord in Mark 2:1-12, the Lord met his greatest need by forgiving him his sins. A few minutes later, the one who was carried in by people walked back home on his own, taking his bed along with him. On several occasions, when the sick is brought, all the focus is on receiving healing whereas, his greatest need is to be saved. There are certain ailments that may not be healed until that individual deals with the root cause sin. This also means that if you are sick, the first point of call is to find out if you have sinned or you are living in sin, so that you can immediately repent and ask for forgiveness. There are some ailments that will defy medication until you deal with the problem of sin : in today’s reading, we are told that when men sin, they are afflicted with sickness and they lose appetite for food and come close to death until they cry unto the Lord. There is a user of this Devotional who is very ill. You opened the door to this sickness because you hurt someone who has been doing good to you. All attempts at treating this ailment have not yielded result. If you can sincerely repent, asking God for forgiveness and thereafter go and meet the person you have offended for restitution, the sickness will disappear the way it came. Are you sick? Find out if you are the cause; if you are living in sin, you are likely the cause. Give your life to Jesus today if you are not yet born again, and live ¡n right standing with God from today.

RCCG Open Heavens Devotional Thursday 24 January 2013 ITEM OF SETTLEMENT By Pastor E. A. Adeboye

RCCG Open Heavens Devotional Thursday 24 January 2013 

ITEM OF SETTLEMENT 

By Pastor E. A. Adeboye

Memorise: "And it came to pass afterward, that David's heart smote him, because he had cut off Saul's skirt" 1Samuel 24:5

Read: 1Samuel 24:1-7

Bible in one year: 1Samuel 17-20

Action point: the most dangerous people to offend are people who believe in Jesus Christ. either now or later, you will surely pay dearly for what you did against them.

Prayer is very powerful. In Zechariab 1 :15 God said something that would amaze anyone:

“And I am very sore displeased with the heathen that are at ease: for I was but a little displeased, and they helped forward the affliction.”

When the children of lsrael sinned against God, the Lord was slightly displeased with them, so to teach them a lesson, He allowed the heathens to invade and destroy their cities. But when prayer was engaged on their behalf, God suddenly became grossly displeased with the same heathen who dealt with His people. Their triumph, jubilation and life of pleasure began to stir up God’s judgement on them. This means that ¡f you can pray, those who were used in judging you may be in for a shocker: the Almighty God will suddenly turn against them and judge them because of what they did to you. Have you been a victim of agents of darkness because of disobedience, but have now fully reconciled with God, the Lord will be jealous for your sake and turn against your enemies. As you pray to God this season, the Lord will level your enemies. You will look for them but they will be nowhere to be found.

Another lesson here is that any quarrel between God and His children is short-lived. An enemy may take advantage of such rift to torment God’s children and may seem to get away with it, but ¡t is only temporal. In the long run, that enemy will become the item of settlement between God and His children. It ¡s dangerous to touch the anointed of God, even when the fellow has sinned against God! God will always defend His anointing on His anointed. One Bible character who had a good understanding of this was King David. He was on the run for his life for so long until one day, he found himself ¡n a vantage position; he could kill his oppressor where he was sleeping. David’s men jumped up and heaved a sigh of relief, saying that they could just kill him and return home from their endless flight. But David refused to kill his brother - turned enemy. Do not easily speak against, hurt or violate any genuinely anointed of God irrespective of his or her present spiritual standing. If you disgrace a man of God who has done wrong, beware because one day, you will face the God of that man of God and Fie will have more than a pound of flesh.

RCCG Open Heavens Devotional Wednesday 23 January 2013: POWER IN HIS NAME By Pastor E. A. Adeboye

RCCG Open Heavens Devotional Wednesday 23 January 2013

POWER IN HIS NAME

By Pastor E. A. Adeboye

Memorise: "And they that know Thy name will put their trust in Thee. for Thou, LORD has not forsaken them that seek Thee" Psalm 9:10

Read Philippians 2:8-11

Bible in one year: 1 Samuel 14-16

Prayer point: Father, honour the call of everyone who calls You in faith and truth as You have promised.

This year, all will be well with you and everything you have. Matthew 1 :2 1 says, “And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.”

The name of our Saviour that is made available to us is one assurance that all will be well with us. All will he well because being the healer, Jesus will heal the sick according to His promise in Exodus 15:26. In this scripture, He says you are automatically insured against every sickness that has ever afflicted the Egyptians. If you have Jesus the Great Physician, you will not be a victim of known sicknesses or diseases. Are you afflicted with any known sickness or disease today? You are healed by His stripes in Jesus name. Unknown sicknesses or diseases will also lose their power when the Great Physician is in control. Are specialists telling you that the sickness or disease in your body ¡s beyond known scientific discovery? The stripes of Jesus Christ will destroy them from your body system today! I command every known or unknown, seen or unseen sickness to lose its hold over your body! You are healed now.

Similarly, because Jesus is the mighty Deliverer, you shall be delivered from every force or power that has taken you into captivity. John 10:10 says Jesus Christ has come to reverse whatever the devil has done in your life and situation. This means, if Satan has stolen your freedom, you can have it back. if you have lost your peace to a distressing situation, you can have it back. Are you enslaved to certain spiritual or physical forces? You are set free today in the name that ¡s above every other name, Jesus.  In that dungeon that the enemy has placed you, you are coming out now by the power of His name! That chain over your destiny is broken now! Whatever is holding your hands from functioning properly is destroyed now. Whatever is hindering you from moving to your next level ¡s destroyed ¡n Jesus name. In whatever contrary situation you find yourself, just call on the only name that can make the difference Jesus!

RCCG Open Heavens Devotional Tuesday 22 January 2013: SEPARATING THE TWINS? by Pastor E. A. Adeboye

RCCG Open Heavens Devotional Tuesday 22 January 2013

SEPARATING THE TWINS? 

By Pastor E. A. Adeboye

Memorise: "I will praise the name of God with a song, and will magnify Him with thanksgiving" Psalm 69:30

Read Psalm 69:29-31

Bible in one year: 1 Samuel 11-13

Key points: You get the best from God when you combine thanksgiving with praise 

Believers are designated as vessels whose content should always include thanksgiving. Anyone who truly lives up to this designation will be loved, appreciated and valued wherever the fellow is. If people find your presence often irritating, check yourself; ¡t could be that you are carrying complaints and murmuring instead of what you were designed to carry thanksgiving. The one who ¡s full of grumbling will be detested both by believers and unbelievers. Complaints reduce your value while thanksgiving increases your worth. Your content also affects your disposition. If you are full of thanks always, you will always have a positive mental attitude and see things from the sunny side of life; but if you always manifest a negative attitude to situations in life, ¡t ¡s most likely you have loaded your system with complaints. A thankful individual will therefore enjoy good health because of the constant state of joy of his heart occasioned by his positive mental attitude (Proverbs 1 7:22).

“Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him and bless his name.” Psalm 100:4

To effectively access the throne of God, you need to understand the protocol of heaven. While approaching heaven’s gate, the first thing the angels expect you to have is thanksgiving. After opening the gate to you, before allowing you access to God’s courts, they will further check if you have praise. In other words, thanksgiving is your passport into God’s pearly gates while praise grants you access to his courts acting like a visa. This means, thanksgiving and praise are twin sisters that must follow each other sequentially if your fellowship with God is to be effective. How often and how effectively do you combine both? Whenever you praise God without thanking Him, something is missing. From today, come into His presence having your passport of thanksgiving stamped with the visa of praise.

RCCG Open Heavens Devotional Monday 21 January 2013: COMMITMENT by Pastor E. A. Adeboye

RCCG Open Heavens Devotional Monday 21 January 2013

 COMMITMENT

By Pastor E. A. Adeboye

Memorise: "For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain" Philippians 1:21

Read 2 Samuel 32: 15-17

Bible in one year: 1 Samuel 8-10

Prayer point: Father, help me to be committed to You like no one else in my generation

One way of describing the attitude of the midwives in Exodus 1 to God and His children is commitment. Commitment is saying I am ¡n this thing whether  I live or die, whether I am praised or rebuked, whether I am commended or not, I am in it all the way. God is looking for people with commitment for His assignments. Many people today lack this indispensable virtue. Commitment can take you to the depths.  It can take you to strange places like Nebuchadnezzar’s fiery furnace, the lions’ den, prison, boiling pot of oil, to be crucified on a cross or to face death. Those who are committed are those who understand what it means to truly serve God. If you are not committed, you can never get beyond the shallow level of service. Some people deliberately are very low in commitment because they want to avoid responsibilities. Such people fail to realise that rewards are reserved only for those who are committed.

Many believers in Christ want Jesus as their Saviour but not as their Lord. They want the blessings from serving Jesus but are not ready for the responsibilities that go with their faith. Paul showed his level of commitment by saying, “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” Philippians 1:21

Another person who was committed to God was Abraham. In Genesis 22:1 1 8, he was given three days to make a journey to the mountain top, with ample opportunities to change his mind, but he went all the way. 1f some of us lose one or more of our children, we will doubt If we are really loved by God. Moreover, today’s reading gives us the example of David and his men. While in the midst of battle, he declared he was thirsty for the water from the well in Bethlehem; some of his men putting their lives at great jeopardy, broke through the enemies’ siege and returned with the water for their king to drink. When they eventually delivered the water, he had to offer it to God. How committed are you to God or His servant? What level of risk can you take just to meet the needs of God’s servant? This story teaches us that commitment to your leader is commitment to your God. Are you committed to God or your pastor? How supportive are you to Kingdom projects? How ready are you to take the assignments given to you in church?

RCCG Open Heavens Devotional Sunday 20 January 2013: ORDERED TO LOVE by Pastor E. A. Adeboye

RCCG Open Heavens Devotional Sunday 20 January 2013

ORDERED TO LOVE 

By Pastor E. A. Adeboye

Memorise: "This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you". John 15:12

Read John 13: 34-45

Action point: Love is so strong that if can completely disarm your strongest  foe. Ask for more of His love in your life.


In Heaven, God has an army. When He came to the earth, the Lord Jesus raised another army. Just before Fie left, He gave three sets of orders to His army on the earth. If we must satisfy Gods expectations on the earth and to be reunited with Him in Heaven for eternity, we must be aware of these orders and live with them. 
“A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, ¡f ye have love one to another.” John 13:34-35
The first of such orders ¡s that we are commanded to love. This command is repeated in John 15:12,17. One distinguishing feature that characterizes the Lord’s army is love.  If you are a true soldier of Jesus Christ, you will be able to love your fellow brethren whether they deserve it or not. It is easy to love those who love or pretend to love you. But it ¡s not easy to love those whose mind and feelings towards you are uncertain. It is even difficult to love those who act deliberately against you. Whether people are lovable or not, you must love them as a true soldier of Christ. It ¡s not an option, but a command. 
It is not enough to profess love, concrete effort must be made to ensure that the love professed is genuine. According to Romans I 2:9-10, with this kind of love, you will even prefer your brother to yourself. Where there ¡s genuine brotherly love, nobody struggles for position or power. If you schemed your way into your present position, you lack the love of Christ. If this love ¡s present, you will happily subordinate yourself to your brother or sister. You will not be filled with only thoughts about yourself; you will not give pride a chance when you truly love. This ¡s the type of love existing within the Godhead; hence there is no trace of rivalry between them. If you cannot demonstrate this kind of love, you cannot be a soldier that God can be proud of. Let us consider the Godhead; Jesus said God the Father ¡s the greatest (John 1 4:28). God the Father said Jesus has the most exalted name both on earth and in Heaven (Philippians 2:9). The Father sent the Holy Spirit to glorify the Son (John 16:14). Jesus depended on the Holy Spirit all through His ministry on earth and said anyone who offends Him will never be forgiven (Mark 3:29). So who then is the greatest among them? Love one another in humility and sincerity!

RCCG Open Heavens Devotional Friday 18 January 2013: SIN AND DEATH CONNECTION by Pastor E. A. Adeboye

RCCG Open Heavens Devotional Friday 18 January 2013

SIN AND DEATH CONNECTION

By Pastor E. A. Adeboye

Memorise "Fools because of their transgression, and because of their iniquities, are afflicted." Many sicknesses are the direct result of foolish acts. Psalm 107:19

Read 1Kings 17:17-18

Bible in one year: 2 Corinthians 10-13

Key points: Sin facilitates sickness while holy living facilitates healthy living

Romans 6:23 says sin pays the one who engages in it with death. Sickness is an agent of death. When somebody falls sick, the reason people become concerned is that it can lead to death. This tells us that sin, sickness and death are all linked together. Let us take example in 1Kings 17:17-18. Here the son of the widow of Zarephat took ill and later died. By the time the widow met Elijah, she asked: “Why have you done this? Do you want to bring my sin to remembrance?” In other words, she believed some sin she committed some time ago, which had probably been swept under the carpet, was now having its toll on her. Looking at the beginning, before the advent of sin, there was no sickness or death in the Garden of Eden. Psalm 1 07:1 7 further confirms this when it states: Fools because of their transgression, and because of their iniquities, are afflicted.”… Sin leads to sickness because sin provides sickness with a very conducive atmosphere to operate in the life of the sinner. This is why your healthiest moments on earth are  when you are living holy, excluding while going through a  trial of faith situation; while the times you are most vulnerable to sicknesses ¡s when you are living in sin. When you make effort to live holy, you are only doing yourself good and prolonging your life.

Similarly, demons are also agents of death. Anyone who lives in sins is a slave of Satan according to Romans 6:16. In addition, 1 John 3:8 says the one who sins is a property of the devil. Sin always connects the sinner with Satan. When you sin, Satan automatically has what belongs to him ¡n you, making the fellow a slave of the devil. So captivity and bondage leads to death. Also poverty and hunger are agents of death. Never believe the lie of anyone that poverty is good. The evil of poverty is not only that it can kill the poor before their time, for ¡n 2 Kings 6:2429, we read of how two women were so hungry that they decided to use their children for breakfast - just to live for a few more days! You shall not be a victim of poverty in Jesus name. Are you still connected with sin - evil thoughts, plans or emotions? Break them off today!

RCCG Open Heavens Devotional Thursday 17 January 2013: RESTORING THE DESTROYED by Pastor E. A. Adeboye

RCCG Open Heavens Devotional Thursday 17 January 2013

RESTORING THE DESTROYED

by Pastor E. A. Adeboye

Memorise: "For God will save Zion, and will build the cities of Judah: that they may dwell there, and have it in possession" Psalm 69:35

Read: Psalm 66:30-35

Prayer point: Father, in any way my family and I have provoked Your  judgment, have mercy on us and rebuild our joy today

Besides making your joy to be full and connecting you with mercy, another door of possibility that prayer opens as listed in Zechariah l:12-16 is that It makes God to rebuild what He destroyed in judgment. For 70 years, Jerusalem and Judah were in ruins as a result of divine judgment. But when prayer was engaged by an angel on behalf of Gods people, the Lord decided to return and rebuild the Cities of Jerusalem. Have you faced divine judgement before? Do you secretly believe that you can never be in favour with God because of your antecedents? Drop that notion now. All you need to do is to engage in prayer, starting with confession of sins and total repentance, rededication and from there to thanksgiving, praise and worship. After these, you can supplicate or ask God for mercy. If you handle this tool of prayer well, very soon, whatever you lost shall be restored, Your broken wall of protection will be rebuilt. Your lost relationship with God shall be restored. The voice of the Spirit which stopped speaking to you because of some act of  disobedience shall be restored. 

“Cry, yet saying, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; my cities through prosperity shall yet be spread abroad”… Zechariah 1:17a

God did not stop at rebuilding the cities of Jerusalem, but went ahead to prosper them. Have you been a victim of divine judgment at any time? If only you can pray your way into restoration with God. He will not only rebuild you, but also prosper you. This shows us how much God hates poverty. If God can rebuild and prosper those who once lived in rebellion against Him, how much more will He prosper those who have been faithful to Him? This is your season to be built up. Every strand of His grace that has been lost shall be restored to you this season. It is a season of divine mercy; as you key into it through prayer, everything will begin to fall into place like a jig saw puzzle. The Lord will rebuild your life. The Lord will rebuild your destiny. The Lord will restore every good thing you have lost. It is well with you.

RCCG Open Heavens Devotional Wednesday 16 January 2013: SIMILAR GENETIC MARKERS by Pastor E. A. Adeboye

Wednesday 16^th January 2013

SIMILAR GENETIC MARKERS

By Pastor E. A. Adeboye

Memorise: “For I am the LORD, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed”. Malachi 3:6

Read 2 Kings 2: 9-15

Prayer points: Father, the great work you did through the apostles of old, repeat them in my life.

We are in a fast changing world. A lot of drastic changes have occurred  and are still occurring. To keep up with these changes and the challenges they present, you need the new anointing. During my school days, if you did Sciences by the time you were graduating, you would have job offers that might even be asking the type of car you wanted. But today, many people have PhD nut they are still combing the streets in search of non-existing jobs. If that is your situation, the Lord will bring about a change this season in the mighty name of Jesus.

Speaking about the new anointing, the truth Is that you cannot  effectively speak of the new without talking about  the old as the new was birthed by the old. It is the spirit of Elijah that rested on Elisha, the old anointing gave birth to the new and as such, the genes of the old can be found in the new. Hence, both anointing have certain things in common. For instance, taking a cue from our reading today, we see that both the old and the new anointing can deal with obstacles. When Elijah was to go across river Jordan, he used his mantle to smite the river and it parted. Also, when Elisha wanted the same result, he repeated what his mentor had done and the river parted. Similarly, in Exodus 14:21.28, when Moses was about to take the children of Israel across the Red sea, he engaged the old anointing to divide the sea and create a pathway in It. But when the wall of Jericho was a stumbling block on the path of Joshua, he engaged the new anointing and got the children of Israel to give one powerful shout of Hallelujah and the wall came crashing down (Joshua 6:2). What is that wall stubbornly confronting you today? As you shout powerful Hallelujah today, it shall fall flat in Jesus name. That long standing problem in your life shall crash today in the name of Jesus Christ.

Engage in praise and worship looking up to Him who alone does wonders and your mountain will melt like wax in His presence. The problems or obstacles may take different form or shape but the good news is this that the Lord will give you victory over nagging problems. The new anointing will work for you in Jesus name.

RCCG Open Heavens Devotional Tuesday 15 January 2013: THANK GOD ALWAYS by Pastor E. A. Adeboye

THANK GOD ALWAYS

By Pastor E. A. Adeboye

Memorize: Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ!   Ephesians 5: 20.

Read: Ephesians 5: 19-20

Bible in our year: 2 Corinthians 1-3

Action point:  Reflect over negative situations you have been through and thank God for not allowing you to drown in the fire or floods of life.

Thanksgiving is a qualitative spiritual substance that is highly prized in the heavenly Kingdom. As a vessel which serves God, you must always be full of it. 1 Thessalonians 5: 18 says,

“In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God

in Christ Jesus concerning you.”

Thanksgiving  is God's will for you; which means, you have been recreated in Christ so that as a vessel that serves God, you will regularly serve God thanks. To remain in God's will your life, your heart and lips must never run out of thanks. It is not possible to be full of thanks and complaints at the same time, as these two are contrary to each other. Any believer who is always complaining is not only void of thanks but also outside God's will This is dangerous. God's blessings - favour, grace provision, etc locates you in the will of God, so never let complaining, murmuring, and grumbling push you off the track of your blessings!

“Giving thanks always for all things unto Cod and

the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ;”

Ephesians 5:20

Another lesson here is that thanksgiving should not be restricted to a particular day, time, or event. Thanksgiving be a seasonal activity but one that is done at all n every situation. If you thank God only when He has answered your prayers or done something for you, that thanksgiving is seasonal! God is not pleased with seasonal thanksgiving because seasonal 'thank-givers' are part of those who rob Him. When the going is good, give Him thanks. That is easy. Anybody can do that. But when the going is bad, do you give Him thanks? Did I hear you say, for what? Give it to Him because He demands it; it is His right. When you are spiritually high, give Him thanks- When you are spiritually down, give Him thanks. When you are healthy, give Him thanks. When you fall ill give Him thanks. Just been promoted give Him thanks. When your have lost your job give Him thanks. From today, let your thanksgiving no longer be conditioned upon any particular situation. Thank God whether you feel like it or not because it is our due to God. In His faithfulness He will give you Him thanks over and over again.

RCCG Open Heavens Devotional Monday 14 January 2013: BUILD YOUR MIGHTY MEN by Pastor E. A. Adeboye

BUILD YOUR MIGHTY MEN

By Pastor E. A. Adeboye

Memorize: For even in Thessalonica ye sent once and again unto my necessity. Philippians 4: 16

Read: 2 Samuel 23: 8 – 14

Bible in one year: 1 Corinthians 13 – 16.

Key point: Words of appreciation, commendation and encouragement can achieve a lot in building your helpers.

It is very dangerous to be alone without being occupied in something positive. Also, nobody is an island to himself. No matter how important you think you are, or how highly placed you are, you still neei¹ lowly placed individuals or subordinates to enable you get to your goal. The rich are rich today because they have the poor who work to make them rich. Without those poor persons, no rich person can be as rich as they are. In Luke 10:1, the Lord sent His disciples out for evangelism two by two, showing that no human being is self-sufficient, God is. You need your brothers and you need your sister. No matter the level of anointing you carry, you will need someone to support you. In Exodus 17:8-13, Aaron and Hur kept the hands of interceding Moses up, Joshua was at the battle field. It was this combined effort that God blessed which led to victory over the Amalekite. To what extent have you recognized those that the Lord has given to you?

Another example here is that of David. David was mighty man of war. He had the know how with respect to fighting battles. He was a powerful young man and was highly skilled, yet he needed his mighty men to be as strong as he was (2 Samuel 23:8-29). You are as strong as your helpers. You are as knowledgeable as your helpers. Everyone God gives to you adds to your strength. It means that every helper you lose diminishes your strength. This is one reason you must treat your helpers with care, love and concern. Some of these associates come to you originally in weak, impoverished or  helpless state. You will need to impact their lives. Once this is done, going by David's experience, they become endeared to you, and deliver their support. Have you taken the time to nourish, instruct, teach, train, mentor or invest in those the Lord has brought your way? How open are you in receiving those that God sends to you. Or do you think you can do it all alone? If you receive invest in them, at the right time, they will be there to hold your hands up. David raised his mighty men, build yours!

RCCG Open Heavens Devotional: Sunday 13 January MILITARISED FOR CHRIST by Pastor E. A. Adeboye

MILITARISED FOR CHRIST

BY Pastor E. A. Adeboye

Memorize: Who is this King of glory?  The LORD strong and mighty, the LORD mighty in battle.                                               Psalm 24: 8

Read: Psalm 24: 7-10

Bible in one year: 1 Corinthians 10-12.

Key point: Some are being calm about what they should take by force: they are making requests instead of issuing orders.

If you have lost any good thing at any point in time, you can cover it. God does not want you to just let go. There is a fighting spirit within you that God wants you to engage by tapping into His support in order to regain your loss. Any lost item you fail to tight for may never be recovered. Exodus 15:3 says,                          

“LORD is a man of war: the LORD Is his name^”.

  

A soldier who has been well trained to fight happily looks forward to an opportunity to fight. In the same vein, a sportsman who has spent months or years preparing for a tournament looks forward with excitement to the competition. But how many believers truly look forward to practicing what they have learnt? Why are you taking things cool when you should take it hot with your spiritual enemies? Why are you taking it easy with your flesh that is trying to derail you, and send you to hell ? If the Lord is a man of war and you are His child, therefore you have part of His fighting spirit inside of you.

Psalm 24:7-10 says the Lord Jesus is the Commander-in-chief of the heavenly hosts. God has a highly disciplined army in Heaven which follows Him wherever He goes according to Revelation 19:11-17. In order to recover the earth from Satan, the Lord had to play by the rules by becoming a human being. When He came, one of His major reasons was to destroy the works of the devil hence, 1 John 3:8 says,

“He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil

sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the

Son of Cod was manifested, that he might destroy

the works of the devil.”

That Lord heals, saves souls/ and delivers are all geared towards destroying the works of the devil. During His ministry here on earth, the Lord started an army. If you are born-again, you are a part of that army. How militant are you? Members of God’s army do not wrestle against the flesh and blood. Your fight is not against human beings but against demonic spirits, the flesh and worldly systems that are antichrist. As a part of this army, people must know what you like and what you hate. They be able to predict the way you will handle situations and circumstances. How militant are you towards the forces of darkness? While physical kidnapping is allowed. You can arrest or kidnap the peace or joy of your enemies.