Prayer Points For Today’s Open Heavens 18 June 2018 – Want Your Prayers Answered?

1.Thank you, Father, for your promise to supply all my needs, according to your riches in glory, by Christ Jesus.

2.Father, in anyway, l have fallen short of your glory, please, have mercy and forgive me, in Jesus’ name.

3.Father, grant the grace me to make myself and my resources available for soul winning today in Jesus’ Name, in Jesus’ name.

4.Father, If You could do it for Peter, You can also do it for me, in Jesus’ name.

5.Father, give me the grace to go and win souls to your kingdom, in Jesus’ name.

6.Father, I will use my tongue to prophecy good tidings, to sing a new song unto my King and to tell the world how great you are, in Jesus’ name.

7.Father, I make myself available for your use. Make use of me as s vessel unto honor in Jesus’ name.

8.Your Personal petitions.
( Philippians 4:6)

9.In Jesus’ name I pray.
(John 14:13-14; 15:16)

10.Thank you Father for answered prayers.
(1 Thessalonians 5:18).

Open Heaven 20 June 2018 [Wednesday] – Not from God

Open Heaven 20 June 2018 Memorise
But every man is tempted , when he us drawn away of his own list , and enticed. James 1:14

Bible Reading Open Heaven 20 June 2018: James 1:12-16

12 Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.

13 When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone;

14 but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed.

15 Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.

16 Don’t be deceived, my dear brothers and sisters.

Open Heaven 20 June 2018 Bible in one year: 2 Kings 21-22, Acts 13:48-14:18

The message from the Holy Spirit to you today is that you must take responsibility for your actions in life. It is important to note that many trials and temptations we encounter in life are neither from God or from thr devil. You may then want to know where temptations emanate from. The Bible is clear on this: we cannot put the blame at God’s doorstep. James 1:13-14 says

“Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away do his own list, and enticed.”

It is expedient for us to differentiate between temptation and examination. Examination is intended to yield a positive result whereas temptation is intended to yield a negative result. Concerning temptations, if you are unable to overcome, you end up in a worse place or state compared to where you were before being tempted. Open Heaven 19 June 2018.

Open Heaven 20 June 2018

However, with regards to examinations, you usually get promoted once you successfully complete the examination. We can conveniently say that God examines those He wants to entrust with divine assignments (Genesis 22:1, Deuteronomy 3:2). Conversely, the devil, also referred to as the tempter takes advantage of a man’s list and vulnerabilities to tempt him or her, using the list of the eyes, the list of the flesh and the pride of life (1 Thessalonians 3:5, 1 John 2:16).

The truth of the matter is that man is responsible for his actions and inactions. However, the problem with us is that while we love to enjoy the freewill divinely bestowed on us, we are often not comfortable with being held responsible for whatever repercussions our actions bring to our lives. We can see a classic example of man denying responsibility in the way Adam responded to God’s query as to why he ate the forbidden fruit. Genesis 3:11-13 says

“And he said, who told thee that thou east naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat? And the man said, The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat.”

Beloved you are responsible for your own actions and inactions. Adam misused his freewill, and his descendants are still suffering the consequence. Misuse of freedom leads to bondage, so beware

Open Heaven 20 June 2018 Prayer point:
Father, please give me the wisdom to make the best use of the liberty I have obtained through Christ my lord

Open Heaven 20 June 2018 Hymn 15
HYMN 15 – The Comforter Has Come

1 O spread the tidings ’round, wherever man is found,
Wherever human hearts and human woes abound.
Let every Christian tongue proclaim the joyful sound:
The Comforter has come!

Refrain:
The Comforter has come! The Comforter has come!
The Holy Ghost from heav’n, the Father’s promise giv’n,
O spread the tidings ’round, wherever man is found:
The Comforter has come!

2 The long, long night is past; the morning breaks at last;
And hushed the dreadful wail and fury of the blast,
As o’er the golden hills the day advances fast!
The Comforter has come! [Refrain]

3 Lo, the great King of kings, with healing in His wings,
To every captive soul a full deliv’rance brings;
And thro’ the vacant cells the song of triumph rings;
The Comforter has come! [Refrain]

4 O boundless love divine! How shall this tongue of mine
To wond’ring mortals tell the matchless grace divine –
That I, a child of hell, should in His image shine?
The Comforter has come! [Refrain

Open Heaven 21 June 2018 [Thursday] – Judging or Teaching

Open Heaven 21 June 2018 Memorise
My brethren , be not many masters , knowing that we shall receive the greater condemnation. James 3:1

Bible Reading Acts 28:1-6

1 Once safely on shore, we found out that the island was called Malta.

2 The islanders showed us unusual kindness. They built a fire and welcomed us all because it was raining and cold.

3 Paul gathered a pile of brushwood and, as he put it on the fire, a viper, driven out by the heat, fastened itself on his hand.

4 When the islanders saw the snake hanging from his hand, they said to each other, “This man must be a murderer; for though he escaped from the sea, the goddess Justice has not allowed him to live.”

5 But Paul shook the snake off into the fire and suffered no ill effects.

6 The people expected him to swell up or suddenly fall dead; but after waiting a long time and seeing nothing unusual happen to him, they changed their minds and said he was a god.

Open Heaven 21 June 2018 Bible in one year: 2 Kings 23, Acts 14:19-15:11

In a bid to evade the verbal chastisement of the word of God coming from the mouth of fellow believers, some Christians quote these words of Jesus in Matthew 7:1-2

“Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgement ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.”

Such Christians conveniently forget the words of 2 Timothy 4:2, which says

“Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.”

While it is true that some Christians today are quick to judge others for situation they are passing through, which is an attitude the Lord warned us against, it does not mean that we cannot declare the counsel of God whenever we are so moved by the Spirit of God to do so. The question is, what is the difference between having a judgemental attitude and declaring the whole counsel of God through teaching or preaching? Just like vengeance, judgment also is the prerogative of the Almighty God. Open Heaven 20 June 2018

As demonstrated in the story of the adulterous woman, He alone is the accurate and righteous Judge. From the story, we see that man’s judgement can be faulty, because the one judging others may be guilty of the same sin (John 8:7-9). Only God is without sin, therefore He alone is competent enough to pass judgement. Indeed, He has passed judgement through His word, and He will confirm this judgement through the Lord Jesus Christ on a day he has appointed ( John 12:48, Romans 2:16).

To be judgemental is to judge wrongly. Many are prone to doing this, and this is the reason why we are warned not to judge. Paul’s experience in today’s Bible reading is a typical example of the error of man’s judgement.

Open Heaven 21 June 2018

The Lord had just spared the lives of Paul and those whom he was travelling with on account of Paul’s right standing with Him. While the apostle was gathering sticks to increase the heat of the fire that was keeping them warm, a poisonous snake caught him by the hand. Some of the native people of the land where they were shipwrecked jumped to the conclusion that Paul was evil and that was why nemesis was still after him, even though he had managed to survive a shipwreck (Acts 28:4).

How wrong they were! Let us therefore be cautious before drawing connections between events because our knowledge is limited. Let us allow the word of God speak the judgement of God by itself and not insert our own speculations and motives into the fray.

Open Heaven 21 June 2018 Action Point
Study to show yourself approved unto God, a workman that needs not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth (2Timothy 2:15).

Open Heaven 21 June 2018 Hymn 7
Hymn 7 – O Jesus, I have promised

1. O Jesus, I have promised,
To serve Thee to the end;
Be Thou forever near me,
My Master and my Friend;
I shall not fear the battle
If Thou art by my side,
Nor wander from the pathway
If Thou wilt be my Guide.

2. Oh, let me hear Thee speaking,
In accents clear and still,
I dare not trust my judgment:
Thy way shall be my will;
Oh, speak to reassure me,
To hasten or control;
Oh, speak, and make me listen,
Thou Guardian of my soul.

3. O Jesus, Thou hast promised
To all who follow Thee
That where Thou art in glory
There shall Thy servant be;
And Jesus, I have promised
To serve Thee to the end;
Oh, give me grace to follow,
My Master and my Friend.

4. Oh, let me see Thy footmarks,
And in them plant mine own;
My hope to follow duly
Is in Thy strength alone.
Oh, guide me, call me, draw me,
Uphold me to the end;
And then in Heav’n receive me,
My Savior and my Friend

Prayer Points For Today’s Open Heaven 17 June 2018 – Don’t Misuse Your Tongue

Sing a worship song and exalt the name of Jesus for mercy. Bless the lord for the tongue He has blessed you with.

1.Thank you, Jesus, for the wonderful gift of tongue you’ve blessed me with. Thank you for keeping my tongue healthy.

2.Father, in anyway, l have fallen short of your glory, please, have mercy and forgive me, in Jesus’ name.

3.Father, I will not use my tongue to say anything that will not glorify your name in Jesus’ Name.

4.Holy Spirit, touch my tongue and make me speak good tidings. Make me say things that will edify the body of Christ in Jesus’ Name.

5.Father, fill my mouth with your word in Jesus’ Name.

6.Father, turn my unpleasant situation around today, I prophecy progress, success, promotion, fruit of the womb, good health and love for God in my life in Jesus’ name.

7.Father, give me the grace to feed my spirit, soul and body with Your word, so I will use my tongue properly in Jesus’ name.

8.Father, help me to be very careful of all the pronouncements and confessions that come out of my mouth in Jesus’ name.

9.Father, help me to be more caution in time of distress and anger so as to avoid making negative pronouncements against myself, my situation, my children and everything that concerns me, in Jesus’ name.

10.Lord help me to ensure that the words I’ll speak will encourage me in faith , in spite of the prevailing circumstances around me.

11.Father, please, raise more divine helpers for Pastor E.A. Adeboye, the author of the open heavens daily devotional and general overseer of RCCG, in Jesus’ name.

12.Your Personal petitions.
( Philippians 4:6)

13.In Jesus’ name I pray.
(John 14:13-14; 15:16)

14.Thank you Father for answered prayers.
(1 Thessalonians 5:18).

Open Heaven 19 June 2018 [Tuesday] –Deep Thoughts, Deep Thanks

Open Heaven 19 June 2018 Memorise:
Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits. Psalm 103:3

Bible Reading Psalm 103:1-5

1 Praise the Lord, my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name.

2 Praise the Lord, my soul, and forget not all his benefits

3 who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases,

4 who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion,

5 who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.

Open Heaven 19 June 2018 Bible in one year: 2 Kings 19-20, Acts 13:26-47

There is a wise saying in my native language which says,

“If you don’t know how to think of God’s goodness, you are not likely to know how to give Him thanks.”

Thinking about God’s goodness is one great attitude we need to learn from today’s Bible reading.

In this passage of Scripture, David preached to himself on the need to praise, worship, thank and reverence God. He also outlined some of the reasons why he needed to be thankful. I believe we should emulate David’s attitude and borrow from his list of reasons to be thankful

On his list of reasons to be thankful, David first considered forgiveness of his sins. We so often take the blessings of forgiveness of sins for granted, but we need to remember that it is because of the Lord’s graciousness and mercy that He choose to forgive our sins. It is not difficult to simply say

“Lord, I thank you for the forgiveness of my sins.”

We also need to remember and be thankful that our Lord Jesus Christ is still engaged in intercessory prayers for us continually (Romans 8:34)

The next thing David mentioned on his list is the blessings of healing. The doctors often use a slogan that reads: “We care, God heals”. Who then besides God should take the glory? David also mentioned deliverance from destruction.

Open Heaven 19 June 2018

We all know that evil pervades the world we live in; it’s only the mercy of God that keeps his children from harm. Do you thank Him for this? What about His lovingkindness: a kindness that is not ordinary but full of love? What about His tender mercies: mercy that is affectionate and adds no sorrow? Do you thank him for the food you eat? He satisfies your mouth with good things so that you are energised to go about your daily tasks, and He renews your strength like that of an eagle. Do you thank Him for all these?

Beloved, be sincere with yourself today. Do you think you are grateful to this Great Father who has been sustaining you physically and spiritually? You have walked in the valley of the shadow of death several times and He had kept you. You have been tempted severally but you escaped the net of the devil and his agents. Open Heaven 18 June 2018

Take a look around you and count your blessings; name them one by one, and it will surprise you what the Lord has done. It is expedient for you to spend quality time in God’s presence today to worship Him like never before. However, let this not be a one-off event in your life; ensure you sustain a habit of thanksgiving from today

Open Heaven 19 June 2018 Action Point
Withdraw to a private place and worship God like never before.

Open Heaven 19 June 2018 Hymn 1

My Faith looks up to thee

Verse 1:

My faith looks up to thee,
Thou Lamb of Calvary,
Savior divine;
Now hear me while I pray;
Take all my guilt away.
O let me from this day
Be wholly thine!

Verse 2:

May thy rich grace impart
Strength to my fainting heart,
My zeal inspire.
As thou hast died for me,
O may my love to thee
Pure, warm, and changeless be,
A living fire!

Verse 3:

While life’s dark maze I tread
And griefs around me spread,
Be thou my guide;
Bid darkness turn to day,
Wipe sorrow’s tears away,
Nor let me ever stray
From thee aside.

Verse 4:

When life’s swift race is run,
Death’s cold work almost done,
Be near to me.
Blest Savior, then, in love
Fear and distrust remove.
O bear me safe above,
Redeemed and free!

Open Heaven 18 June 2018 [Monday] –Want Your Prayers Answered?

Open Heaven 18 June 2018 Memorise
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 to you. John 15:16

Bible Reading: Proverbs 11:30-31 & Mathew 28:18-20

Proverbs 11:30-31

30 The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life,
and the one who is wise saves lives.

31 If the righteous receive their due on earth,
how much more the ungodly and the sinner!

Mathew 28:18-20

18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.

19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,

20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Open Heaven 18 June 2018 Bible in one year: 2 Kings 18, Acts 13:1-25

Queen Esther shows us one example of how to get our request granted quickly. Although she had prepared a sumptuous banquet for the king and fed him well, she did not dwell in her own needs; neither did she make any request of him on the first banquet night.

She prepared another banquet the second night, and after being treated nice again by the Queen, we see the King himself insisting that Queen Esther ask whatever she wanted. Esther 7:2 says,

“And the King said again unto Esther on the second day at the banquet of wine, what is thy petition,  queen Esther? and it shall be granted thee: and what is thy request? and it shall be performed, even to the half of the kingdom.”

At this point, the queen presented her request and it was granted without delay. When you follow Queen Esther’s example in your prayer life, you will get expedited answers to your prayers

Today’s memory verse reveals one of the ways to receiving expedited answers to your prayers. It clearly states that if you are fruitful, whatever you ask the Father in the Name of Jesus would be granted.

Many people do not realise the blessings that accompany the great assignment of soul-winning. I have taught my children on several occasions that the shortest route to receiving answers to their prayers is through soul-winning. This is a divine truth that cannot be wished away, because it is the word of God.

Open Heaven 18 June 2018

The good thing about this assignment is that you are not the one to win the souls: Jesus Christ through His Holy Spirit does the job. The Holy Spirit is responsible for convicting the hearts of sinners (John 16:8). All Jesus wants of you is to make your mouth, resources and time available for His use.

What happened to Peter when he made his boat available to Jesus at the lake of Gennesaret will happen to you as you yield yourself and your resources to God for soul-winning today in Jesus’ Name (Luke 5:1-7).

It is interesting to note that after Peter surrendered his boat for God’s use, Jesus Christ did not wait for Peter to ask for a miracle; He just went ahead and granted Peter what he did not ask or bargain for: a great catch of fish that filled two boats. If he could do it for Peter, He will also do it for you when you table your requests after you have yielded your self to soul-winning

Open Heaven 18 June 2018 Prayer Point
Father, grant me to make myself and my resources available for soul winning today in Jesus’ Name

Open Heaven 18 June 2018 Hymn 7

O Jesus, I have promised

1. O Jesus, I have promised,
To serve Thee to the end;
Be Thou forever near me,
My Master and my Friend;
I shall not fear the battle
If Thou art by my side,
Nor wander from the pathway
If Thou wilt be my Guide.

2. Oh, let me hear Thee speaking,
In accents clear and still,
I dare not trust my judgment:
Thy way shall be my will;
Oh, speak to reassure me,
To hasten or control;
Oh, speak, and make me listen,
Thou Guardian of my soul.

3. O Jesus, Thou hast promised
To all who follow Thee
That where Thou art in glory
There shall Thy servant be;
And Jesus, I have promised
To serve Thee to the end;
Oh, give me grace to follow,
My Master and my Friend.

4. Oh, let me see Thy footmarks,
And in them plant mine own;
My hope to follow duly
Is in Thy strength alone.
Oh, guide me, call me, draw me,
Uphold me to the end;
And then in Heav’n receive me,
My Savior and my Friend

RCCG SUNDAY SCHOOL MANUAL  LESSON FORTY-TWO SUNDAY 17TH JUNE 2018: ESSENTIALS OF FOLLOW-UP

SUNDAY SCHOOL HYMN

1. O Sunday School, on the Lord’s day,
O how I love Thee well,
I am happy, it makes me glad
To rejoice at Thy birth.

2. O Sunday School, on the Lord’s day, Thy friendship suits me well,
Both young and old will sing Thy song,
We long for Sunday School.

3. O Sunday School, on the Lord’s day,
Christ was Thy first teacher,
The Holy Spirit, great teacher,
Does manifest in thee.

4. O Sunday School, on the Lord’s day,
This testimony is sure,
That God, the Father Almighty,
Poured His blessing on Thee.

5. O Sunday School, on the Lord’s day,
Though the sun be so bright,
Or if the clouds black with rain,
I’ll be in Sunday School.

6. O Sunday School, on the Lord’s day,
I rejoice to see Thee,
Will thou pass over me today?
Without my being blest?

MEMORY VERSE: “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. ”2Timothy 2:2

BIBLE PASSAGE: Colossians 4:7-8

Colossians:4.7
Tychicus, a beloved brother, faithful minister, and fellow servant in the Lord, will tell you all the news about me.

Colossians:4.8
I am sending him to you for this very purpose, that he may know your circumstances and comfort your hearts,

INTRODUCTION:

It is an established fact that fruit bearing is a must for the believer and that abiding fruit is God’s command. We must, therefore, proceed to discover some methods of follow-up in order to have fruits that will abide in the kingdom forever.

LESSON OUTLINES

1. Some methods of follow-up ministry

2. Paul and Timothy type of relationship examined

SOME METHODS OF FOLLOW-UP MINISTRY
Following an evangelistic/crusade, a nursery/baptismal class is convened to provide specific help to those who are young in faith (Matthew 28:20). Age or gender-specific instructions or teachings may also be organised (1Timothy 5:1-20). Home Bible study groups or home fellowship centres are good follow-up programmes (Acts 2:46; 16:40; Romans 16:3-5). The use of Christian literatures could be of tremendous use, the best of which is the Holy Bible. Other biographies could be of value. Paul, for example, insisted that the teaching letter to the Colossians be read also to the Laodicean church and vice-versa (Colossians 4:16). In modern days, we should take advantage of technology especially the communication gadgets (mobile phones, computers etc), to send short messages, e-mails, etc. New converts can also be followed up through the platforms of the social media networks (Facebook, Twitter, Whatsapp, etc).

PAUL AND TIMOTHY TYPE OF RELATIONSHIP EXAMINED

This is a closer personalised method of follow-up. It is virtually the most effective (2Timithy 2:2). During this type of relationship, emphasis is placed on Christian living, Bible doctrine and winning others. Paul emphasised this greatly in his personal follow-up and discipling of Timothy, his son in the Lord (1Timothy 1:15-18; 4:12-13; 2:1-15). Timothy was brought up in basic Bible doctrines and also instructed to teach others likewise (1Timothy 1:3-4), especially as it is so easy to make shipwreck or become victim of false teachers and heresies (1Timothy 1:19-20; 4:1-7; 2Timothy 2:15-16; 3:1-12; 4:1-5). The personal approach also warned on possibility of backsliding or even apostasy (1Timothy 6:20-21; 2Timothy 4:10), and the need to beware of evil association (2Timothy 4:14-15).

CONCLUSION
The essence of learning some follow-up techniques is that we shall do them. Remember, the doer of the word is more blessed than the hearer only (James 1:22-25). If our fruits abide, we shall be rewarded. Here, we shall be full of joy and hereafter we shall shine forever (1Thessalonians 2:19-20; Daniel 12:3).

QUESTIONS:

1. List at least three methods of follow-up.

2. In few words, describe Paul-Timothy type of relationship with reference to follow-up.

Prayer Points For Today’s Open Heaven 16 June 2018 – An Eagle for Christ?

Sing a worship song and exalt the name of Jesus for mercy, grace and all He’s been doing in your life and that of your family.

1.Thank you, Jesus, for the substitutional and sacrificial works, you did at Calvary, to free me from eternal guilt and condemnation.

2.Father, in anyway, l have fallen short of your glory, please, have mercy and forgive me, in Jesus’ name.

3.Father, make me an eagle for Christ today and cause me to fly for you.

4.Holy Spirit, I completely surrender myself to your leadership. Grant me direction in Jesus’ Name

5.Father, may I never go against the direction of the Holy Spirit, just like the eagle never goes against the wind. Holy Spirit I align my direction to your direction in Jesus’ Name.

6.Father, please help me to consciously or unconsciously; I promise not to do so again. Please turn my unpleasant situation around today, in Jesus’ name.

7.Father, give me the grace to feed my spirit, soul and body with Your word, in Jesus’ name.

8.Father, help me to never loss sight of the fact that the path I am following is so narrow that it cannot accommodate a crowd, in Jesus’ name.

9.Father, please, uphold me till the end; let nothing be able to separate me from your love and please turn my unpleasant situation around today, in Jesus’ name.

10.May I emulate these wonderful characters of an eagle in my life in Jesus’ name.

11.Father, please, raise more divine helpers for Pastor E.A. Adeboye, the author of the open heavens daily devotional and general overseer of RCCG, in Jesus’ name.

12.Your Personal petitions.
( Philippians 4:6)

13.In Jesus’ name I pray.
(John 14:13-14; 15:16)

14.Thank you Father for answered prayers.
(1 Thessalonians 5:18).