OPEN HEAVENS FOR TEENS 14 AUGUST 2024 MEMORISE: Exalt ye the LORD our God, and worship at his footstool; he is holy. Psalm 99:5

OPEN HEAVENS FOR TEENS 14 AUGUST 2024 READ: Revelation 4:8-11

8. And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him; and they were full of eyes within: and they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come.

9. And when those beasts give glory and honour and thanks to him that sat on the throne, who liveth for ever and ever,

10. The four and twenty elders fall down before him that sat on the throne, and worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying,

11. Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.

OPEN HEAVENS FOR TEENS 14 AUGUST 2024 MESSAGE

Today, in continuation of the series I started yesterday on how to pray, I will explain what you need to do after praising God.

After praising God, you should go on to worship Him.

You worship God by telling Him who He is, and to do this, you need to know the Scriptures.

If you read through the Old Testament, you will discover many of God’s names.

For instance, Jehovah means God, and there are different words that are added to Jehovah to mean different things.

It is interesting to know that God revealed most of His names to His people personally.

For example, when God appeared to Moses on Mount Horeb (Exodus 3), He revealed Himself as I AM THAT I AM.

When He provided a ram for Abraham as a sacrifice in place of his son, Isaac, He revealed Himself as Jehovah Jireh, which means our Provider.

God has revealed Himself to me in many ways, so I have my own way of worshipping Him.

However, these expressions do not have interpretations in the English Language.

This is why I sometimes switch to my indigenous language when I pray.

OPEN HEAVENS FOR TEENS 14 AUGUST 2024 KEY POINT

If you do not have an understanding of who God is, either by revelation or by studying His word, you cannot know how to worship Him.

OPEN HEAVENS FOR TEENS 14 AUGUST 2024 BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Nehemiah 7:21; 1 Corinthians 9:1-18

OPEN HEAVENS FOR TEENS 14 AUGUST 2024 HYMN 44

DEEPER, DEEPER IN THE LOVE OF JESUS

1. Deeper, Deeper In The Love Of Jesus
Daily Let Me Go;
Higher, Higher In The School Of Wisdom,
More Of Grace To Know.

Refrain:
Oh, Deeper Yet, I Pray,
And Higher Ev’ry Day,
And Wiser, Blessed, Lord,
In Thy Precious, Holy WorD.

2. Deeper, Deeper! Blessed Holy Spirit,
Take Me Deeper Still,
Till My Life Is Wholly Lost In Jesus,
And His Perfect Will. [Refrain]

3. Deeper, Deeper! Tho’ It Cost Hard Trials,
Deeper Let Me Go!
Rooted In The Holy Love Of Jesus,
Let Me Fruitful Grow. [Refrain]

4. Deeper, Higher, Ev’ry Day In Jesus,
Till All Conflict Past,
Finds Me Conqu’ror, And In His Own Image
Perfected At Last. [Refrain]

BY PASTOR E.A ADEBOYE & PASTOR (MRS) FOLU ADEBOYE

MEMORISE: And it came to pass, that, as he was praying in a certain place, when he ceased, one of his disciples said unto him, Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples., Luke 11:1

READ: Luke 11:1-2
1. And it came to pass, that, as he was praying in a certain place, when he ceased, one of his disciples said unto him, Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples.
2. And he said unto them, When ye pray, say, Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth.

MESSAGE:
I have realized that many teenagers get tired easily in the place of prayer. Some teenagers cannot pray for 30 minutes, and if you force them to pray for that long, they would have exhausted their requests within a few minutes. My dear child, you can pray for an hour non-stop if you know how to pray.
Let us follow the model of the prayer Jesus outlined in today’s Bible reading. He said in verse 2: *“Our Father which art in Heaven, hallowed be thy name.”* This means that when you pray, you should start by praising, worshipping, and thanking God. There are slight differences between these three, but many people do not know it.
To praise God means to tell of His mighty works from generation to generation. When you praise God, you will start from how He created the heavens and the earth, how He made the firmaments, how He made man (you) in His image, how He delivered the Israelites, how He parted the Red Sea, how He raised the dead, among other wonderful deeds. David understood this, and this was why he said that he would enter God’s court with praise. If you read through the Psalms written by David, you will realise that he was a good student of history. He knew of the mighty works of God and could tell them to Him.
Beloved, if you know the mighty acts of God, you will not get tired of prayer. Ensure that you learn of His mighty acts by studying the Bible daily and listening to other people’s testimonies.

REFLECTION
How much of God’s mighty acts do you know?

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR
Nehemiah 5:73; 1Corinthians 8:1-13

HYMN 43, LEAD US HEAVENLY FATHER, LEAD US
1. Lead Us, Heavenly Father, Lead Us
O’er The World’s Tempestuous Sea;
Guard Us, Guide Us, Keep Us, Feed Us,
For We Have No Help But Thee,
Yet Possessing Every Blessing
If Our God Our Father Be.

2. Saviour, Breathe Forgiveness O’er Us;
All Our Weakness Thou Dost Know;
Thou Didst Tread This Earth Before Us,
Thou Didst Feel Its Keenest Woe;
Lone And Dreary, Faint And Weary,
Through The Desert Thou Didst Go.

3. Spirit Of Our God, Descending,
Fill Our Hearts With Heavenly Joy,
Love With Every Passion Blending,
Pleasure That Can Never Cloy;
Thus Provided, Pardoned, Guided,
Nothing Can Our Peace Destroy.

You did not choose Me [Jesus], but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you. John 15:16, NKJV

As Jesus stated, you are humbled by the reality of Christ choosing and appointing you to bear fruit that remains. As you abide in Him, anything you ask of Him is asking in His name.

The beauty of you remaining in Jesus is the Holy Spirit’s production of fruit that remains…for Jesus.

You are a beloved child of God, which conveys a heart of walking so close with your heavenly Father that you would dare not assume or ask of Him anything that would threaten your sweet, abiding relationship…forged by love and trust.

Asking requires humility accompanied by faith, which escorts you into the presence of your loving heavenly Father. His perfect love is the safest of safe places, available for you to seek comfort, forgiveness, wisdom and yes…the opportunity to ask. Love bids you to ask your Father in Jesus’ name.

This idea is similar to a friend offering her name to you as a reference to someone you have never met or would like to connect to and have a conversation with. You are able to gain access because of the credibility of your friend’s name, recognized by the one you would like to approach… to perhaps receive a referral to a helpful resource. In the same way, Jesus’ name always gives you access into the presence of your heavenly Father…to ask.

“And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it” (John 14:13-14).

Whatever you ask in My name, that will I do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it.

Matthew 21:22
And all things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.

John 16:24
Until now you have asked for nothing in My name; ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be made full.

John 14:14
If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it.

1 John 5:14
This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.

John 14:13
Whatever you ask in My name, that will I do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.

John 15:16
You did not choose Me but I chose you, and appointed you that you would go and bear fruit, and that your fruit would remain, so that whatever you ask of the Father in My name He may give to you.

John 20:31
but these have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name.

John 16:23-24
In that day you will not question Me about anything. Truly, truly, I say to you, if you ask the Father for anything in My name, He will give it to you. Until now you have asked for nothing in My name; ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be made full.

John 15:7
If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.

Colossians 3:17
Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.

Mark 11:24
Therefore I say to you, all things for which you pray and ask, believe that you have received them, and they will be granted you.

1 Corinthians 1:2
To the church of God which is at Corinth, to those who have been sanctified in Christ Jesus, saints by calling, with all who in every place call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, their Lord and ours:

John 14:6
Jesus *said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.

Romans 8:32
He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things?

Matthew 7:22-23
Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.

Acts 4:12
And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved.

God Bless You, share this with your loved ones in the most powerful name of Jesus

 

References: Wisdomhunters, Bible

OPEN HEAVENS FOR TEENS 12 AUGUST 2024 MEMORISE: And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint, Luke 18:1

OPEN HEAVENS FOR TEENS 12 AUGUST 2024 READ: Luke 18:1-8

1. And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint;

2. Saying, There was in a city a judge, which feared not God, neither regarded man:

3. And there was a widow in that city; and she came unto him, saying, Avenge me of mine adversary.

4. And he would not for a while: but afterward he said within himself, Though I fear not God, nor regard man;

5. Yet because this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me.

6. And the Lord said, Hear what the unjust judge saith.

7. And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them?

8. I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?

Open Heaven 12 August 2024

Open Heaven 13 August 2024

OPEN HEAVENS FOR TbEENS 12 AUGUST 2024 MESSAGE:

Our bible reading today presents an interesting story that Jesus told His disciples about persistence in the place of prayer.

I have discovered that many people get tired easily when they don’t get a swift response from God.

I want you to know that God is not a magician. He also does not delight in delaying or denying His children answers to their prayers.

However, He is God, and He does things in His own time, which is always perfect.

One of the lessons you can learn from this parable is that you must persist in the place of prayer – pray until something happens.

The widow in the parable kept disturbing the judge until he attended to her.

You too must persist with your requests until you get a response.

Don’t ask for success in your academics for one week and stop because you didn’t score high on a test; you must continue to ask.

The Bible says that if you faint in the day of adversity, your strength is little (Proverbs 24:10).

Another lesson to learn from the parable is that the widow did not consult another judge or look for an alternative.

It is an insult to God to pray about a particular thing and then think of alternatives.

Stick with God and in no time, He will answer you.

 

OPEN HEAVENS FOR TEENS 12 AUGUST 2024 KEY POINT

Keep asking in prayers until you get answers

OPEN HEAVENS FOR TEENS 12 AUGUST 2024 HYMN 21

STANDING ON THE PROMISES OF CHRIST MY KING

1. Standing on the promises of Christ, my King,
Through eternal ages let his praises ring;
Glory in the highest, I will shout and sing,
Standing on the promises of God.

Refrain:

Standing, standing,
Standing on the promises of God, my Savior;
Standing, standing,
I’m standing on the promises of God.

2. Standing on the promises that cannot fail.
When the howling storms of doubt and fear assail,
By the living Word of God I shall prevail,
Standing on the promises of God. [Refrain]

3. Standing on the promises of Christ, the Lord,
Bound to him eternally by love’s strong cord,
Overcoming daily with the Spirit’s sword,
Standing on the promises of God. [Refrain]

4. Standing on the promises I cannot fall,
List’ning ev’ry moment to the Spirit’s call,
Resting in my Savior as my all in all,
Standing on the promises of God. [Refrain]

OPEN HEAVENS FOR TEENS 12 AUGUST 2024 BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Nehemiah 3:13; 1 Corinthians 7:25-40

OPEN HEAVENS FOR TEENS 11 AUGUST 2024 MEMORISE: Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. James 5:16

OPEN HEAVENS FOR TEENS 11 AUGUST 2024 READ: Acts 16:25-34

[25]And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them.

[26]And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one’s bands were loosed.

[27]And the keeper of the prison awaking out of his sleep, and seeing the prison doors open, he drew out his sword, and would have killed himself, supposing that the prisoners had been fled.

[28]But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, Do thyself no harm: for we are all here.

[29]Then he called for a light, and sprang in, and came trembling, and fell down before Paul and Silas,

[30]And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved?

[31]And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.

[32]And they spake unto him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in his house.

[33]And he took them the same hour of the night, and washed their stripes; and was baptized, he and all his, straightway.

[34]And when he had brought them into his house, he set meat before them, and rejoiced, believing in God with all his house.

OPEN HEAVENS FOR TEENS 11 AUGUST 2024 

OPEN HEAVENS FOR TEENS 11 AUGUST 2024 MESSAGE:

Prayer is a vital part of your relationship with God. It has the power to change your life and the world around you.

However, as beautiful as prayer is, if it is not effective, it is a waste of time. The following are a few things that can make your prayers effective:

1. Righteousness: Anyone who is not living a righteous life is merely making noise before God. This is because God does not hear the prayer of a sinner; it is an abomination to Him.

2. Faith: Hebrews 11 lists the heroes of faith in the Bible. I particularly like Elijah. The Bible says that he was a man of like passions who sealed heaven and commanded rain to cease through prayers (James 5:17). Jesus also said that with faith as little as a mustard seed, you can move a mountain. Thus, God honours the faith of His children.

3. The name of Jesus: This is the only name through which you can have access to the Father. If you pray in the name of Adeboye, you are merely wasting your time. Adeboye did not die for you, neither was he nailed to the cross –Jesus was. You also cannot pray in the name of angels, for they are your messengers, and you will judge them at the end of the world (1 Corinthians 6:3).

OPEN HEAVENS FOR TEENS 11 AUGUST 2024 ACTION POINT

Apply the three you’ve learnt about prayer and pray for the next 30 minutes.

OPEN HEAVENS FOR TEENS 11 AUGUST 2024 HYMN 15, PASS ME NOT O GENTLE SAVIOUR

1. Pass me not, O gentle savior
Hear my humble cry
While on others Thou art calling
Do not pass me by.

Saviour, Saviour
Hear my humble cry
While on others Thou art calling
Do not pass me by.

2. Let me at thy throne of mercy
Find a sweet relief;
Kneeling there in deep contribution
Help my unbelief.

3.Trusting only in the Thy merit
would i seek thy face
Heal my wounded, broken spirit,
save me by thy grace.

4.Thou, the spring of all my comfort
More than life to me
Whom have I on earth beside Thee
Whom in Heav’n but Thee?

OPEN HEAVENS FOR TEENS 11 AUGUST 2024 BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Nehemiah 1:1-3:14; 1 Corinthians 7:1-24

OPEN HEAVEN 25 AUGUST 2024 MEMORISE: For we dare not make ourselves of the number, or compare ourselves with some that commend themselves: but they measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise. 2 Corinthians 10:12

OPEN HEAVEN 25 AUGUST 2024 READ: Romans 12:1-3:

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.

2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

3 For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.

OPEN HEAVEN 25 AUGUST 2024 MESSAGE

Peer pressure is one of the greatest enemies of a Christian. The most dangerous thing about it is that it is not specifically listed amongst the works of the flesh in Galatians 5:19-21, and so many Christians are not careful of it.

Also, many people think that peer pressure only applies to teenagers, but it is also present among older people.

For example, when you go to a wedding, and you join your peers in dancing to worldly songs because you don’t want them to see you sitting aside, that is peer pressure making you do something against God’s will. You cannot please God and man at the same time.

King Saul tried to please men, and he displeased God as a result. He lost his throne and died a shameful death (1 Samuel 31:1-6).

Don’t try to dress like the world because you don’t want to seem ‘left out’. Don’t try to use dirty slangs to show that you are also familiar with current trends.

Many years ago, I was a guest minister somewhere, and when the man of God who was to introduce me went to the altar to do the introduction, he said that he liked everything about me except the way I dressed like a hunter with my short-sleeved suits.

I replied that I am not a hunter, I am a soldier. His remarks did not make me change the way I dress, even though my colleagues were wearing flowing agbada around that time.

Today, God has raised me very high amongst my colleagues. Children of God are not influenced by peer pressure; they are led by the Spirit of God (Romans 8:14).

When a Christian starts doing things because of what people will say or think, such a believer has stopped being led by the Spirit of God, and the fellow is already losing his or her sonship.

The word of God says in 2 Corinthians 6:17 that you must be separate. If people are to be seen as your peers, let them be people who have separated themselves for Christ.

Amongst these people, you can bow to the peer pressure of who is praying the longest, who has memorized more Scriptures, who wins the most number of souls per day, et cetera.

That is the only kind of peer pressure that is good for a Christian; pressure to please God more and draw closer to Him, not pressure that relates to carnal things.

OPEN HEAVEN 25 AUGUST 2024 REFLECTION

Are your actions influenced by other people’s perception of you or by the Spirit of God?

OPEN HEAVEN 25 AUGUST 2024 HYMN 1

ALL HAIL THE POWER OF JESUS’ NAME

OPEN HEAVEN 25 AUGUST 2024 BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Ezekiel 9-12

OPEN HEAVEN 24 AUGUST 2024 MEMORISE: But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light: 1 Peter 2:9

OPEN HEAVEN 24 AUGUST 2024 READ: Psalms 139:13-14:

¹³ For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother’s womb.

¹⁴ I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.

OPEN HEAVEN 24 AUGUST 2024 MESSAGE

Many-a-times, the devil whispers things into our ears to deceive us so that we will not walk in the identity and authority that God has given to us.

This is why it is necessary to know who you truly are in Christ. A king’s son that does not know who he is will beg for food even in his father’s palace.

You must know who you are, and you can only know this when you see yourself the way God sees you. How does God see you?

If you are confronted by a situation that seems tough and the devil is trying to tell you that you will not win, remember what the Bible says in Romans 8:37: “Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.”

Even though that situation may have conquered some people in the past, it cannot conquer you because you are more than a conqueror through Christ who loved you and loves you forever.

Sometimes, the devil will tell you that you are not good enough to be at the top or achieve your goals.

Laugh and quote Deuteronomy 28:13 to him: “And the LORD shall make thee the head, and not the tail; and thou shalt be above only, and thou shalt not be beneath;..”

The Bible says that you will be above only, so there is no space for you at the bottom; the only space available for you as a child of God is above, and you will take your place, in Jesus’ name.

The devil can say whatever he wants, but when you know the truth, you will not listen to him or accept his lies.

When you know the real you in Christ, you will ignore whatever the devil says because you know that he is a liar (John 8:44). As you ignore him, your actions and thoughts will also follow suit.

You will not let his lies dictate what you do or what you don’t. His words must not shape your thoughts concerning what you believe about yourself or not.

The devil is too small to control the thoughts and actions of a believer. Your living, moving and being must be in God and not in any other counsel as we see in Acts 17:28: For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring.

OPEN HEAVEN 24 AUGUST KEY POINT

When you know your true identity in the Scriptures, the devil will not be able to deceive you again.

OPEN HEAVEN 24 AUGUST 2024 HYMN 6

I AM SO GLAD THAT OUR FATHER IN HEAV’N

OPEN HEAVEN 24 AUGUST 2024 BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Ezekiel 5-8

OPEN HEAVEN 23 AUGUST 2024 MEMORISE: Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Matthew 7:15

OPEN HEAVEN 23 AUGUST 2024 READ: Acts 20:28-31:

²⁸ Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.

²⁹ For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock.

³⁰ Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them.

³¹ Therefore watch, and remember, that by the space of three years I ceased not to warn every one night and day with tears.

OPEN HEAVEN 23 AUGUST 2024 MESSAGE

A shepherd can fail his sheep in two major ways. One of the ways is by not giving them food and making them starve to death, while the other is by not protecting them from predators.

If you are a leader in the body of Christ whom God has placed over some of His sheep, you must ensure that you preserve them by feeding them with the accurate word of God and protecting them from false teachers who are actually wolves in sheep’s clothing.

In Acts 20:28, shepherds are told sternly to feed the flock in their care. If you are not teaching the people that God has put in your care the true and complete word of God, you are killing them spiritually, and God will not spare you for that.

No human being can live long if he/she is malnourished, so also, the souls of the people in your care will perish if they are malnourished.

As you teach them prosperity, also teach them holiness. As you teach them about Christ’s love, don’t leave out the fact that He is also the consuming fire.

Don’t worry about the church’s growth, do what God has called you to do, and He will grow His church.

The apostles regularly warned the sheep about false teachers and their teachings (2 Corinthians 11:13-2 Peter 2:1). They were protecting them from wolves, and we must do the same.

There are all sorts of doctrines going around these days that are completely opposite to God’s word. Don’t ignore them; tell your people never to listen to such teachings.

If you don’t tell them to stay away from such teachings because you don’t want to offend anyone, you will leave them to be devoured by wolves.

Social media has created many opportunities for false teachers to confuse some of the sheep with their teachings.

The sheep may see someone working miracles and believe that he or she is a genuine minister of God.

They might start listening to the fellow’s teachings, so you must ensure that what they are listening to is not the lure of a wolf.

Teach your followers to be like the Berean Christians who always checked any teaching they heard against the word of God (Acts 17:10-11).

Whether you are a pastor, head of a department, house fellowship leader, or parent, if you have been placed as a spiritual leader over some people, it is your responsibility to ensure that the devil does not devour them.

OPEN HEAVEN 23 AUGUST KEY POINT

Leaders: Teach the undiluted word of God Followers: Confirm all teachings like the Berean Christians.

OPEN HEAVEN 23 AUGUST 2024 HYMN 20

STAND UP! STAND UP FOR JESUS

 

OPEN HEAVEN 23 AUGUST 2024 BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Ezekiel 1:4

OPEN HEAVEN 22 AUGUST 2024 MEMORISE: Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: 1 Peter 4:12

OPEN HEAVEN 22 AUGUST 2024 READ: Nehemiah 6:1-16:

1 Now it came to pass when Sanballat, and Tobiah, and Geshem the Arabian, and the rest of our enemies, heard that I had builded the wall, and that there was no breach left therein; (though at that time I had not set up the doors upon the gates;)

2 That Sanballat and Geshem sent unto me, saying, Come, let us meet together in some one of the villages in the plain of Ono. But they thought to do me mischief.

3 And I sent messengers unto them, saying, I am doing a great work, so that I cannot come down: why should the work cease, whilst I leave it, and come down to you?

4 Yet they sent unto me four times after this sort; and I answered them after the same manner.

5 Then sent Sanballat his servant unto me in like manner the fifth time with an open letter in his hand;

6 Wherein was written, It is reported among the heathen, and Gashmu saith it, that thou and the Jews think to rebel: for which cause thou buildest the wall, that thou mayest be their king, according to these words.

7 And thou hast also appointed prophets to preach of thee at Jerusalem, saying, There is a king in Judah: and now shall it be reported to the king according to these words. Come now therefore, and let us take counsel together.

8 Then I sent unto him, saying, There are no such things done as thou sayest, but thou feignest them out of thine own heart.

9 For they all made us afraid, saying, Their hands shall be weakened from the work, that it be not done. Now therefore, O God, strengthen my hands.

10 Afterward I came unto the house of Shemaiah the son of Delaiah the son of Mehetabeel, who was shut up; and he said, Let us meet together in the house of God, within the temple, and let us shut the doors of the temple: for they will come to slay thee; yea, in the night will they come to slay thee.

11 And I said, Should such a man as I flee? and who is there, that, being as I am, would go into the temple to save his life? I will not go in.

12 And, lo, I perceived that God had not sent him; but that he pronounced this prophecy against me: for Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him.

13 Therefore was he hired, that I should be afraid, and do so, and sin, and that they might have matter for an evil report, that they might reproach me.

14 My God, think thou upon Tobiah and Sanballat according to these their works, and on the prophetess Noadiah, and the rest of the prophets, that would have put me in fear.

15 So the wall was finished in the twenty and fifth day of the month Elul, in fifty and two days.

16 And it came to pass, that when all our enemies heard thereof, and all the heathen that were about us saw these things, they were much cast down in their own eyes: for they perceived that this work was wrought of our God.

OPEN HEAVEN 22 AUGUST 2024 MESSAGE

Oppositions are different from persecutions. Persecution happens when someone attacks you because you are a Christian, while oppositions happen when you are attacked in a bid to stop you from doing whatever you have planned to do for God.

Many people have set out to do things for God and were faced with opposition that made them back down.

Some of them remained fervent Christians, but the opposition discouraged them from going ahead to do what was in their hearts for God.

If we allow oppositions to stop us from doing what God has called us to do, many souls will perish in hell, and the devil will oppress people because the Christians are quiet.

Therefore, rather than allow oppositions to stop you, you must learn to keep going despite them.

One man who faced opposition and kept going until the work was done was Nehemiah. He had set out to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem, despite the fact that it was not going to be an easy task – then, opposition arose.

If you study the book of Nehemiah, you will see the three major tools of opposition that the devil employs against Christians: mockery (Nehemiah 4:3), threats (Nehemiah 4:7-8) and discouragement (Nehemiah 4:10).

He can raise people to mock you for what you are doing, but you must ignore them.

Some people will threaten you with many things or even death if you continue to do what you are doing for God. However, you should not be afraid because God will take care of such people for you.

Lastly, the devil can bring discouragement by making the work more difficult. He can do it by ensuring the unavailability of resources or some people’s refusal to cooperate with you.

Whether the devil brings one or all of these things your way, if God has given you a vision, you must never back down.

Nevertheless we made our prayer unto our God, and set a watch against them day and night, because of them.

Nehemiah 4:9 Nehemiah’s default response to all the opposition he faced was to pray. Prayer is not a last resort but your primary defence against oppositions.

As you do all that you humanly can to forestall oppositions, put your trust in God. Place your ears on His chest to hear the next instruction He will give you; after all, you are doing His work.

The people opposing you are actually opposing Him, so let Him do the fighting while you keep working.

OPEN HEAVEN 22 AUGUST KEY POINT

The way to overcome oppositions is to report them to God; let God do the fighting while you keep working.

OPEN HEAVEN 22 AUGUST 2024 HYMN 1

ALL HAIL THE POWER OF JESUS’ NAME

OPEN HEAVEN 22 AUGUST 2024 BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Lamentations 3-5

OPEN HEAVEN 21 AUGUST 2024 MEMORISE: But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; Matthew 5:44

OPEN HEAVEN 21 AUGUST 2024 READ: John 15:18-21

​​18 If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you.

19 If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.

20 Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also.

21 But all these things will they do unto you for my name’s sake, because they know not him that sent me.

OPEN HEAVEN 21 AUGUST 2024 MESSAGE

As long as this world remains, every true child of God will face persecution because the devil is the prince of this world (John 14:30). You must therefore be well-equipped to handle persecutions so that they won’t derail you from your race to heaven.

The devil persecutes you as a child of God because he wants you to deny Christ, and the only way to pass through persecution without denying Christ is to be well-grounded in Him.

Therefore, before persecutions come and before the devil launches his attacks, you must be well-rooted in Christ by studying God’s word, memorising it, and praying without ceasing.

The depth of a tree’s root determines if it will remain standing during a storm If you don’t want persecution to bring you down, you must be deeply rooted in God’s word.

Those who fail in times of persecution are those who were not as intimate with Christ as they should have been before persecution came.

Long ago, there was a missionary in a foreign land where Christians were being persecuted.

On her wedding day, the local police raided the missionary base and arrested her in her wedding dress.

She kissed the handcuffs they put on her and said, “Lord, I didn’t know you were so jealous over me and wouldn’t let me marry anyone else.

How beautiful is your wedding ring to me!” She was so in love with Christ that her wedding being invaded meant nothing to her; she saw the handcuffs as wedding rings.

That is the kind of intimacy you must have with Christ so as not to deny Him in the face of persecution.

When people compromise after facing a little persecution, like not being promoted at work because of their Christian values, I shake my head because I know that they were never really rooted in Christ.

Christians who are truly rooted in Christ rejoice when they are persecuted because they know they are blessed (Matthew 5:10-12).

They see persecution as a sign that they are a terror to the devil, and that excites them; they want to cause him even more terror.

Persecution drives them to do more for God against the kingdom of darkness. In Acts 5:41, the disciples rejoiced that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for Jesus’ name.

In 1 Peter 4:13, we are told to rejoice that we are partakers of Christ’s sufferings. Don’t let persecution weigh you down; let it become fuel for you to do more for God.

OPEN HEAVEN 21 AUGUST 2024 REFLECTION

Are you deeply rooted in Christ such that you can withstand the storms of persecution when they come?

OPEN HEAVEN 21 AUGUST 2024 HYMN 10

IN CHRIST ALONE

OPEN HEAVEN 21 AUGUST 2024 BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Lamentations 1-2