OPEN HEAVEN 18 JUNE 2024 TODAY DEVOTIONAL

TOPIC: SPEND TIME WITH THEM 2

MEMORISE:

Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices.
2 Corinthians 2:11

READ: Proverbs 1:10-16

¹⁰ My son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not.

¹¹ If they say, Come with us, let us lay wait for blood, let us lurk privily for the innocent without cause:

¹² Let us swallow them up alive as the grave; and whole, as those that go down into the pit:

¹³ We shall find all precious substance, we shall fill our houses with spoil:

¹⁴ Cast in thy lot among us; let us all have one purse:

¹⁵ My son, walk not thou in the way with them; refrain thy foot from their path:

¹⁶ For their feet run to evil, and make haste to shed blood.

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Daily Confession: I confess today that I possess the shield of faith, which protects me from the devil’s attacks, and I build up my faith daily through prayer, studying God’s Word, and trials, ensuring my faith grows stronger to overcome every obstacle and temptation that comes my way in Jesus name, Amen. Hallelujah!

Prayer Points For Open Heavens 14 June 2024

Powerful Declarations For Today 14 June 2024

Open Heavens for Teens 14 June 2024 FRIDAY

 OPEN HEAVEN 18 JUNE 2024 TODAY MESSAGE

Yesterday, I started discussing the importance of spending time with children. As parents spend time with their children, they must also spend time with what and whom their children spend time with.

Parents should check the apps on their children’s phones to see what they are being exposed to.

When they are watching movies or cartoons, they should watch with them to be sure that they are safe for them. They should check the websites they visit and ask them to invite their friends over so they can know the kind of friends they keep.

They should visit their schools regularly to know the kind of people their teachers are. Parents should not see anything their children are involved in as too low or immature for them. Whatever or whomever children spend their time with will influence them, and parents must be there to ensure that they are influenced correctly.

Solomon, in today’s Bible reading, spoke to his son about the people he should interact with. He knew that even after raising him the right way, other people and things could still influence him negatively.

There are things parents teach their children that the world will try to convince them to compromise on. Today’s memory verse tells us not to be ignorant of the enemy’s devices. Parents must pay attention to whatever their children are paying attention to. It will be unwise to teach them and then leave them to the world to corrupt them.

Beyond that, parents should occupy their children with godly activities so that they can have things to spend their energy on. They should encourage them to join the workforce in their local assembly as well as Christian book clubs and associations.

School activities and excursions are good, but parents must also prioritise spiritual engagements for their children. They shouldn’t ignore their children’s spiritual growth, but rather, they should teach them to build a connection with the Holy Spirit so that they can hear His voice telling them what and what not to do, even in their absence.

If you are a parent, engage your children in conversations to know what they have in their hearts and the things that influence them.

Matthew 15:11 says that it is what comes out of a person’s mouth that defiles him or her. Talk to them about anything and everything to hear what they will say and know what is in their hearts.

I pray that you will not fail God over your children, in Jesus’ name.

OPEN HEAVEN 18 JUNE 2024 KEY POINT

Beyond spending time with children, it is also very important to spend time with the people and things that they spend their time with.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR

Psalms 78-80

HYMN 1:

ALL HAIL THE POWER OF JESUS’ NAME

OPEN HEAVEN 19 JUNE 2024 TODAY DEVOTIONAL

TOPIC: SPEND TIME WITH THEM 3

MEMORISE:

Let the deacons be the husbands of one wife, ruling their children and their own houses well.
1 Timothy 3:12

READ: 1 Timothy 3:1-5

This is a true saying, if a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work.

² A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach;

³ Not given to wine, no striker, not greedy of filthy lucre; but patient, not a brawler, not covetous;

⁴ One that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity;

⁵ (For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?)

---

RCCG OPEN HEAVEN 19 JUNE 2024 TODAY MESSAGE

Today, I will continue my teaching on the importance of spending time with children. Many ministers of God make the mistake of putting their ministries before their families – this is not how God wants it.

Today’s Bible reading tells us that a man must first have his house in order before he takes up leadership in ministry. As far as God is concerned, your home must come first, then your ministry next. If your home is not in order, you have no business being in ministry.

If you are a minister, don’t neglect your family because you are helping to build other families.

There are many ministers’ children who have serious issues that need attention while their parents are helping other children settle theirs – this is wrong.

Do not ignore your children because you believe that you are already teaching them the word of God during family devotions and church services. Your children don’t see you only as a minister, they also need you to listen to them every now and then as their parent. When you are with them, don’t talk as a minister, talk as their parent, showing them love and care.

The reason many ministers’ children become wayward is that they are living with a minister, not their parent. Make the work of ministry something they enjoy and not something they detest because it takes their parents away from them.

I realised that I needed to be with my children during festive seasons, and as such, even when we had church programmes at those times, I always ensured that they came along with me. On our way to such programmes, I would share jokes and riddles with them so that they would have fun and be relaxed.

Whenever we arrived at the venue of the programmes, wherever I sleep is where they would also sleep. Even when things were quite tough and all l had to sleep on was a wooden bench, we would all sleep on it together. So, rather than see the programmes as things that took their father away from home during holidays, they became times of bonding and adventure for us.

When you are praying for great exploits in ministry, remember to pray for your family too. Put them first in the place of prayers. What you pray about shows what you prioritise

OPEN HEAVEN 19 JUNE 2024 KEY POINT

You must rule your home well first before taking up a leadership position in ministry

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR

Psalms 81-88

HYMN 27:

WHAT A FRIEND WE HAVE IN JESUS

MEMORISE:

Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.
Psalms 89-94

READ: Joshua 7:1-22

But the children of Israel committed a trespass in the accursed thing: for Achan, the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took of the accursed thing: and the anger of the Lord was kindled against the children of Israel.

² And Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai, which is beside Bethaven, on the east of Bethel, and spake unto them, saying, Go up and view the country. And the men went up and viewed Ai.

³ And they returned to Joshua, and said unto him, Let not all the people go up; but let about two or three thousand men go up and smite Ai; and make not all the people to labour thither; for they are but few.

⁴ So there went up thither of the people about three thousand men: and they fled before the men of Ai.

⁵ And the men of Ai smote of them about thirty and six men: for they chased them from before the gate even unto Shebarim, and smote them in the going down: wherefore the hearts of the people melted, and became as water.

⁶ And Joshua rent his clothes, and fell to the earth upon his face before the ark of the Lord until the eventide, he and the elders of Israel, and put dust upon their heads.

⁷ And Joshua said, Alas, O Lord God, wherefore hast thou at all brought this people over Jordan, to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy us? would to God we had been content, and dwelt on the other side Jordan!

⁸ O Lord, what shall I say, when Israel turneth their backs before their enemies!

⁹ For the Canaanites and all the inhabitants of the land shall hear of it, and shall environ us round, and cut off our name from the earth: and what wilt thou do unto thy great name?

¹⁰ And the Lord said unto Joshua, Get thee up; wherefore liest thou thus upon thy face?

¹¹ Israel hath sinned, and they have also transgressed my covenant which I commanded them: for they have even taken of the accursed thing, and have also stolen, and dissembled also, and they have put it even among their own stuff.

¹² Therefore the children of Israel could not stand before their enemies, but turned their backs before their enemies, because they were accursed: neither will I be with you any more, except ye destroy the accursed from among you.

¹³ Up, sanctify the people, and say, Sanctify yourselves against to morrow: for thus saith the Lord God of Israel, There is an accursed thing in the midst of thee, O Israel: thou canst not stand before thine enemies, until ye take away the accursed thing from among you.

¹⁴ In the morning therefore ye shall be brought according to your tribes: and it shall be, that the tribe which the Lord taketh shall come according to the families thereof; and the family which the Lord shall take shall come by households; and the household which the Lord shall take shall come man by man.

¹⁵ And it shall be, that he that is taken with the accursed thing shall be burnt with fire, he and all that he hath: because he hath transgressed the covenant of the Lord, and because he hath wrought folly in Israel.

¹⁶ So Joshua rose up early in the morning, and brought Israel by their tribes; and the tribe of Judah was taken:

¹⁷ And he brought the family of Judah; and he took the family of the Zarhites: and he brought the family of the Zarhites man by man; and Zabdi was taken:

¹⁸ And he brought his household man by man; and Achan, the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, was taken.

¹⁹ And Joshua said unto Achan, My son, give, I pray thee, glory to the LordGod of Israel, and make confession unto him; and tell me now what thou hast done; hide it not from me.

²⁰ And Achan answered Joshua, and said, Indeed I have sinned against the Lord God of Israel, and thus and thus have I done:

²¹ When I saw among the spoils a goodly Babylonish garment, and two hundred shekels of silver, and a wedge of gold of fifty shekels weight, then I coveted them, and took them; and, behold, they are hid in the earth in the midst of my tent, and the silver under it.

²² So Joshua sent messengers, and they ran unto the tent; and, behold, it was hid in his tent, and the silver under it.

---

RCCG OPEN HEAVEN 20 JUNE 2024 TODAY MESSAGE

I was invited by a chief several years ago to pray for him because he was sick. I asked if he was born again, and he said, “Yes”. This made me happy, and I assured him that he will get well.

I prayed, but nothing happened. I sent two of my prayer champions to his house to stay there; they fasted and prayed for him for seven days. Still, the man got worse.

Then, I decided to fast and pray for 21 days for the man. That was when God spoke, “Son, it is good to fast, but if it is for this man, he will not get well.” I responded, “But this man said he is your son, why don’t you want to heal him?” Then He told me to ask the chief seven questions. The next time I went to visit him, I said, “Chief, God told me to ask you some questions.” He told me to go ahead and ask.

Before I finished asking all the questions, he knew that his secrets had been exposed. I thought he would repent so we could pray together for God to heal him, but he told me never to visit him again. Is there anything that you think has been hidden away that you don’t want anyone to find out about?

The word of God says in Luke 8:17: For nothing is secret, that shall not be made manifest; neither any thing hid, that shall not be known and come abroad.

God knows the secret sins that individuals might have, and if they refuse to confess and repent of them, He can decide to reveal them in such a way that they will be disgraced.

The fact that sin is hidden does not mean that its consequences are also hidden. The word of God is clear, whatsoever you sow, you will reap (Galatians 6:7).

Proverbs 11:21 says that no sinner will go unpunished. If you are hiding any sins, my advice to you is that you confess them to God and repent of them immediately to avoid their consequences. We have a great promise from God that if we confess our sins and forsake them, He will forgive us (I John 1:9, Proverbs 28:13).

If you have secret sins, you have a choice today to either continue in them and suffer their consequences or confess and forsake them so you can have God’s mercy. Choose wisely.

OPEN HEAVEN 20 JUNE 2024 ACTION POINT

If there are secret sins in your life, confess and forsake them today

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR

Psalms 89-94

HYMN 10:

IN CHRIST ALONE

The blessings of thy father have prevailed above the blessings of my progenitors unto the utmost bound of the everlasting hills: they shall be on the head of Joseph, and on the crown of the head of him that was separate from his brethren
Genesis 49:26

READ: Genesis 27:27-40
27 And he came near, and kissed him: and he smelled the smell of his raiment, and blessed him, and said, See, the smell of my son is as the smell of a field which the Lord hath blessed:

28 Therefore God give thee of the dew of heaven, and the fatness of the earth, and plenty of corn and wine:

29 Let people serve thee, and nations bow down to thee: be lord over thy brethren, and let thy mother’s sons bow down to thee: cursed be every one that curseth thee, and blessed be he that blesseth thee.

30 And it came to pass, as soon as Isaac had made an end of blessing Jacob, and Jacob was yet scarce gone out from the presence of Isaac his father, that Esau his brother came in from his hunting.

31 And he also had made savoury meat, and brought it unto his father, and said unto his father, Let my father arise, and eat of his son’s venison, that thy soul may bless me.

32 And Isaac his father said unto him, Who art thou? And he said, I am thy son, thy firstborn Esau.

33 And Isaac trembled very exceedingly, and said, Who? where is he that hath taken venison, and brought it me, and I have eaten of all before thou camest, and have blessed him? yea, and he shall be blessed.

34 And when Esau heard the words of his father, he cried with a great and exceeding bitter cry, and said unto his father, Bless me, even me also, O my father.

35 And he said, Thy brother came with subtilty, and hath taken away thy blessing.

36 And he said, Is not he rightly named Jacob? for he hath supplanted me these two times: he took away my birthright; and, behold, now he hath taken away my blessing. And he said, Hast thou not reserved a blessing for me?

37 And Isaac answered and said unto Esau, Behold, I have made him thy lord, and all his brethren have I given to him for servants; and with corn and wine have I sustained him: and what shall I do now unto thee, my son?

38 And Esau said unto his father, Hast thou but one blessing, my father? bless me, even me also, O my father. And Esau lifted up his voice, and wept.

39 And Isaac his father answered and said unto him, Behold, thy dwelling shall be the fatness of the earth, and of the dew of heaven from above;

40 And by thy sword shalt thou live, and shalt serve thy brother; and it shall come to pass when thou shalt have the dominion, that thou shalt break his yoke from off thy neck.

RCCG OPEN HEAVEN 16 JUNE 2024 TODAY MESSAGE
A father has tremendous power over the lives and destinies of his children. Any wise child will always seek his or her father’s (biological or spiritual) blessings. This is why you must always think of ways to provoke your father to bless you.

Unfortunately, these days, most people are after getting material things from their fathers and hardly think of what they can do to make their fathers bless them.

One day, I had just returned from a journey, and two of my spiritual children came to welcome me.

The one who got to me first merely greeted me, the other followed suit when he joined us and then proceeded to collect my bags. Immediately he did that, I said to him, “God bless you.”

The first son said, “Daddy, you did not say ‘God bless you’ to me.” I responded, “What did you do for me? You saw me carrying these bags, but you didn’t help me.” If you want your father to bless you, you must be ready to do something that will provoke him to do so.

One very important thing about a father’s blessing is that it is irreversible. Even though Isaac realised that he had blessed Jacob instead of Esau, he could not reverse it (Genesis 27:33). This is why you must seek your father’s blessing in every way you can.

Once your father blesses you, you are blessed forever. Nevertheless, blessings are different.

Some blessings come from the soul, some from the heart and some from the mouth. When Isaac wanted to bless Esau, he told him to prepare his favourite meal so that after he had eaten it, he could bless him from deep within his soul (Genesis 27:4.

A father can bless three of his children, but one will still be greater than the rest because the father loves that one in a special way.

How well does your father love you? Do you often provoke him to pray for you or are you the type that provokes him to anger regularly? Some people hardly send money to their old parents, some hardly call them, while some others don’t even visit them.

They may be old and frail now, but their blessings and curses remain very powerful. Whatever you do, ensure that you get as many blessings as possible from your father before he dies.

OPEN HEAVEN 16 JUNE 2024 ACTION POINT
Do something for your father today that will provoke him to bless you. If you are a father, call your children and bless them from your soul.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR
Psalms 69-72

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

MEMORISE:

I have found David my servant; with my holy oil have I anointed him:
Psalms 89:20

READ: Matthew 17:14-21

14 And when they were come to the multitude, there came to him a certain man, kneeling down to him, and saying,

15 Lord, have mercy on my son: for he is lunatick, and sore vexed: for ofttimes he falleth into the fire, and oft into the water.

16 And I brought him to thy disciples, and they could not cure him.

17 Then Jesus answered and said, O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you? bring him hither to me.

18 And Jesus rebuked the devil; and he departed out of him: and the child was cured from that very hour.

19 Then came the disciples to Jesus apart, and said, Why could not we cast him out?

20 And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.

21 Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting.

RCCG OPEN HEAVEN 15 JUNE 2024 TODAY MESSAGE

Just like electricity voltages differ, anointing levels also differ. When you are exposed to some voltages of electricity, you will only get a mild shock.

However, being exposed to higher voltages can be fatal. You must be ready to pay the price if you want to operate in higher levels of the anointing.

Many years ago, we were at a crusade ground and had been conducting deliverance on one fellow for hours. When the demon wasn’t leaving, we had to call my father in the Lord, Pa Josiah Akindayomi, from his prayer room. He came out, commanded the demon to leave in the name of Jesus, and the demon left.

I was shocked. I thought I was anointed, but then I saw another level of the anointing. I became determined to grow in the anointing.

Some years after that, we were holding a crusade, and while the Bible Study was going on, I went around, making sure everything was going well.

At a point, I saw some brethren rolling up their sleeves to cast a demon out of a boy. They saw me and said, “Senior bro is here, let him join us.” I told them that I would pray with them on one condition – that they would allow me to pray first.

After they agreed, I closed my eyes and prayed a simple prayer, commanding the demon to leave in Jesus’ name. After the prayer, I immediately took my leave, and they were all surprised.

Some weeks later, I was passing through the town where we held the crusade and decided to stop by to visit a friend. On getting to his house, I met the boy that was demon-possessed.

Before then, he could not go near fire because the demon would push him into the fire. However, to prove to me that he was now free, he cooked me a meal.

No matter the level of the anointing you are operating now, there is a higher level that you must aim to attain. It is good that you can pray to raise the dead, but it will be better if you can wave your hands towards a handkerchief and then that handkerchief is used to raise the dead.

To attain greater degrees of the anointing, do what Jesus said in our Bible reading for today: fast and pray often. The more you fast and pray, the higher your ranking will be in the Spirit realm and the more anointed you will become.

OPEN HEAVEN 15 JUNE 2024 KEY POINT

The level of the anointing you will operate in will be determined by how often you fast and pray

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR

Psalms 62-68

HYMN 1:

ALL HAIL THE POWER OF JESUS’ NAME

MEMORISE:

And the captain of the Lord’s host said unto Joshua, loose thy shoe from off thy foot; for the place whereon thou standest is holy. And Joshua did so
Joshua 5:15

READ: Exodus 3:1-5

Now Moses kept the flock of Jethro his father in law, the priest of Midian: and he led the flock to the backside of the desert, and came to the mountain of God, even to Horeb.

2 And the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush: and he looked, and, behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed.

3 And Moses said, I will now turn aside, and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt.

4 And when the Lord saw that he turned aside to see, God called unto him out of the midst of the bush, and said, Moses, Moses. And he said, Here am I.

5 And he said, Draw not nigh hither: put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground.

RCCG OPEN HEAVEN 14 JUNE 2024 TODAY MESSAGE

Any ground that hosts the manifest presence of God is holy ground, and such grounds carry great power. Merely by stepping on such grounds, people receive great miracles.

Beyond that, you can carry the power on a holy ground just by having contact with it. Exodus 4:1-2 tells us: And the LORD said unto him, What is that in thine hand? And he said, A rod.

And he said, Cast it on the ground. And he cast it on the ground, and it became a serpent; and Moses fled from before it. And the LORD said unto Moses, Put forth thine hand, and take it by the tail. And he put forth his hand, and caught it, and it became a rod in his hand:

God told Moses to throw his rod on the holy ground that he was standing on, and the rod became a snake. As Moses bent to pick up the snake, his hands touched the holy ground, and from that day, they became anointed. Every ground is ordinary ground until God touches it. When God touches a ground and your hand touches that ground, that hand can never remain the same.

In 2 Kings 2:9-15, when the horses and chariots of fire came to pick Elijah, they swept the ground and took him away. Elijah dropped his mantle, and when Elisha bent down to pick it, his hand touched the same ground that the host of heaven had touched and became anointed.

When you study the ministry of Elisha, you will discover that he only used Elijah’s mantle once – to cross the Jordan. He didn’t use the mantle when he healed the waters in 2 Kings 2:20-22, neither did he use it when an axehead fell into a river in 2 Kings 6:1-7. The power was in the hand that touched the ground where the holy chariot of God swept.

In Acts 26:13, when the light of God shone on the road to Damascus, the Bible says that it was brighter than the noonday sun. That was the light of the Bright and Morning Star.

When He came all the way down to earth, Saul of Tarsus didn’t just touch the ground, he fell on it. This is why handkerchiefs that had touched his hands and aprons that he had worn worked miracles.

Don’t joke with any ground that is holy. If you are on a ground that you know God descends on regularly, take advantage of it and get all you can from God before you leave the place.

OPEN HEAVEN 14 JUNE 2024 KEY POINT

Whenever you are standing on a holy ground, ensure you make the best out of the opportunity.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR

Psalms 56-61

HYMN 15:

MEMORISE: Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the concision.
Philippians 3:2

READ: Psalms 1:1-4
[1]Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.
[2]But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.
[3]And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.
[4]The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away.

MESSAGE :
I used to have sinful friends before I became born again. These were friends that would come to my place to drink because they knew I always had alcoholic drinks. One day, after my conversion, my friends came around for their usual visit and I offered them soft drinks. They rejected them, but I insisted. With time, they stopped coming around. Thereafter, God gave me like- minded and godly people as friends.

Beloved, there is a difference between having friends and being part of a gang. Friends watch out for the interests of one another, read together, pray together, and do meaningful activities together. On the contrary, a gang specialises in terrorising, bullying, and making jest of people. They sometimes fraternise and do all sorts of bad things, such as drinking, smoking, taking hard drugs, and womanising, among others. Do you associate yourself with a gang or a group of friends? If those you call friends are a reflection of everything the Bible is against, then you should cut them off. If you have one friend who constantly encourages you to make the right moves, hold tight to that fellow. It is better to have just one true friend than to be involved with a gang.

REFLECTION :
Do you have friends or gang members?

HYMN 19 – THERE’S NOT A FRIEND LIKE THE LOWLY JESUS
1. There’s not a friend like the lowly Jesus–
No, not one! no, not one!
None else could heal all our soul’s diseases–
No, not one! no, not one!

CHORUS:
Jesus knows all about our struggles,
He will guide till the day is done;
There’s not a friend like the lowly Jesus–
No, not one! no, not one!

2 No friend like Him is so high and holy–
No, not one! no, not one!
And yet no friend is so meek and lowly–
No, not one! no, not one!

3 There’s not an hour that He is not near us –
No, not one! no, not one!
No night so dark but His love can cheer us–
No, not one! no, not one!

4. Did ever saint find this friend forsake him?
No not one! no not one!
Or sinner find that he would not take him?
No not one! no not one!

5. Was e’er a gift like the Savior given?
No, not one! no, not one!
Will He refuse us a home in heaven?
No, not one! no, not one!

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
1 King’s 11:1-12:19
Acts 9:1-25

AUTHORS: PASTOR E. A ADEBOYE AND
PASTOR (MRS) FOLU ADEBOYE

OPEN HEAVEN 13 JUNE 2024 THURSDAY: THE SWORD OF THE SPIRIT

OPEN HEAVEN 13 JUNE 2024 MEMORISE For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged Sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Hebrews 4:12

OPEN HEAVEN 13 JUNE 2024 READ: Matthew 4:1-11

1 Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil.

2 And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred.

3 And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread.

4 But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.

5 Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple,

6 And saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.

7 Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.

8 Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them;

9 And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me.

10 Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.

11 Then the devil leaveth him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him.

OPEN HEAVEN 13 JUNE 2024 MESSAGE

Today, I will be concluding my teaching on the full armor of God by looking at the last piece of armor.

The sword of the Spirit is the only primarily offensive weapon listed in Ephesians 6:10- 17.

It is clearly a very important weapon that every soldier of Christ must have. The sword of the Spirit is the word of God. In the spirit realm, battles are not fought with physical weapons but with words. The most potent of all the weapons used in spiritual battles is the word of God. The word of God is a powerful sword in the mouth of a believer. With it, you can defeat any force in any realm. Hebrews 4:12 describes this sword as quick, powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword.

This weapon is available to you for spiritual battles. When you know how to use this weapon, no force can withstand you. This is why you need to know the word of God for yourself and memorize it. Any Christian that does not study the Bible will be powerless in spiritual matters. When the devil tries to attack your health, counterattack him with 1 Peter 2:24 that says that you were healed by the stripes of Jesus. When he tries to attack your finances, tell him that the Lord will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory (Philippians 4:19). If he tries to come against your children, tell him that children are the heritage of the Lord so he should get his hands off God’s property(Psalm 127:3).

The word of God is superior to any other word, so when you present it concerning any case, the devil has no choice but to give in. If you present your own words to the devil in a spiritual battle, he can ignore whatever you have to say. However, he cannot ignore the word of God. Psalm 138:2 says that God exalts His word above His name. Know the word of God and memorize it so that when you are faced with an adverse situation, you will have the weapons to use to conquer the devil.

Don’t suffer in the hands of the devil when you already have in your possession the sword of the Spirit is a weapon that is guaranteed to defeat him at all times.

OPEN HEAVEN 13 JUNE 2024 KEY POINT
Your Bible contains more power than you can imagine. Study it and use it to defeat the enemy.

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A ADEBOYE

OPEN HEAVEN 13 JUNE 2024 HYMN 3: ANCIENT WORD

1 Holy words long preserved
for our walk in this world,
They resound with God’s own heart
Oh, let the Ancient words impart.

CHORUS
Ancient words ever true
Changing me, and changing you.
We have come with open hearts
Oh let the ancient words impart.

2 Words of Life, words of Hope
Give us strength, help us cope
In this world, where e’er we roam
Ancient words will guide us Home.

3 Holy words of our Faith
Handed down to this age.
Came to us through sacrifice
Oh heed the faithful words of Christ.

4 Holy words long preserved
For our walk in this world.
They resound with God’s own heart
Oh let the ancient words impart.

5. Ancient words ever true
Changing me, and changing you.
We have come with open hearts
Oh let the ancient words impart.

OPEN HEAVEN 13 JUNE 2024 BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Psalms 50-55

MEMORISE: And the angel of the Lord came again the second time, and touched him, and said, Arise and eat; because the journey is too great for thee. 1 Kings 19:7

READ: John 6:5-13
[5]When Jesus then lifted up his eyes, and saw a great company come unto him, he saith unto Philip, Whence shall we buy bread, that these may eat?
[6]And this he said to prove him: for he himself knew what he would do.
[7]Philip answered him, Two hundred pennyworth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one of them may take a little.
[8]One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, saith unto him,
[9]There is a lad here, which hath five barley loaves, and two small fishes: but what are they among so many?
[10]And Jesus said, Make the men sit down. Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, in number about five thousand.
[11]And Jesus took the loaves; and when he had given thanks, he distributed to the disciples, and the disciples to them that were set down; and likewise of the fishes as much as they would.
[12]When they were filled, he said unto his disciples, Gather up the fragments that remain, that nothing be lost.
[13]Therefore they gathered them together, and filled twelve baskets with the fragments of the five barley loaves, which remained over and above unto them that had eaten.

MESSAGE
Many years ago, I woke up one morning feeling depressed even though I had been fasting for days. I wondered if all I was doing at that time was worth it because I didn’t feel loved by the people I was labouring over; all that they used to tell me was, “Daddy do this, Daddy do that.” Even their prayers for me did not usually go beyond, “May God keep you for us.”
One day, I was asleep when a young girl woke me up and said, “Daddy, I don’t know the voice of God, but this morning, He asked me to bring this little cake to you. I know it is not the devil because he will not tell me to give my pastor a cake.” As she was leaving, God said to me, “I thought you said nobody cares?” This act snapped me out of my depression, and I was on fire again.
Beloved, in what ways have you encouraged your pastors who have been praying for you, your teachers in school who have been teaching you, or your Sunday school teachers for always putting you in check and teaching you the ways of God? A gift or appreciation note can do a lot in their lives.

ACTION POINT
Do something, no matter how little, to appreciate any of your leaders this week

HYMN 11 – O LORD MY GOD, WHEN AM IN AWESOME WONDER,
1. O lord my God!
When am in awesome wonder,
consider all
The worlds thy hands hath made
I see the stars,
I heard the rolling thunder
Thy pow’r thro’ out
The universe displayed

CHORUS
Then sing my soul,
My savior God to thee;
How great Thou art!
How great Thou art!
Then sing my soul,
My savior God to thee;
How great Thou art!
How great Thou art!

2. Then through the woods
And forest glads I wander,
And hear the birds
Sing sweetly in the tress;
When I look down
From lofty mountain grandeur
And hear the brook
And feel the gentle breeze;

3. And when I think
That God, His Son not sparing
Sent Him to die
I scare can take it in;
That on the cross,
My burden gladly bearing,
He bled and died
To take away my sin.

4. When Christ shall come
With shout of acclamation
And take me home,
What joy shall fill my heart!
Then I shall bow
In humble adoration
And there proclaim,
My God how great Thou art!

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
1 Kings 9:1-10:29 Acts 9:14-40
AUTHORS: PASTOR E. A ADEBOYE
PASTOR MRS FOLU ADEBOYE

MEMORISE:
And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: Ephesians 6:17

READ: 1 Thessalonians 5:1-10
1 But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you.
2 For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.
3 For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.
4 But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief.
5 Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness.
6 Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober.
7 For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night.
8 But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation.
9 For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ,
10 Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him.

MESSAGE:
Today, I will continue my teaching on the full armour of God by discussing the helmet of salvation. A helmet is a piece of armour that covers the head. Your head is a part of your body that can be used to identify you, as evidenced by the snapshots used in identification cards. Wearing the helmet of salvation identifies you as a child of God and tells the devil to take his hands off you.
It is unfortunate, however, that many believers remove their helmet of salvation when they get to certain circles; they don’t want people there to know that they are saved. They try to conform to the world rather than being different. Romans 12:2 says:
*”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.”*
When a Christian refuses to identify as a child of God, that Christian is removing the protection from his or her head, and that is one delicate part of the body that will result in instant death if it is struck. Many people lose their salvation because they are trying to conform to the world. Keep your salvation intact by boldly identifying as a child of God everywhere you go.

The blood of Jesus, which was shed on the cross, is what gives us the gift of salvation. Those that are saved are of the light and not of the darkness, as seen in today’s Bible reading. Hence, you must behave as a child of light at all times. Matthew 7:16 says that you can identify those who are saved by their fruits. If you start exhibiting fruits that are not of God, your helmet of salvation is off, and that spells trouble because on the last day, when Jesus comes back to take His own to be with Him, He will only take those who still have their helmets of salvation on. This is why you must work out your salvation with fear and trembling (Philippians 2:12). Don’t assume that you still have your helmet of salvation on just because you have been going to church or even because you are a pastor. Check your salvation at all times to be sure that you are still standing. 1 Corinthians 10:12 says that you should take heed if you think you are standing, lest you fall.

KEY POINT:
Your helmet of salvation identifies you as a child of God. Make sure you have it on at all times.

HYMN 14: O WHAT A WONDERFUL WONDERFUL DAY
1 Oh what a wonderful wonderful day
Day I will never forget;
After I’d wandered in darkness away
Jesus My Saviour i met
O what a tender, compassionate Friend
He met the need of my heart;
Shadows dispelling, with joy I am telling
He made all the darkness depart!

Chorus
Heaven came down
And Glory filled my soul
When at the cross the Saviour made me whole
My sins were washed away
And my night was turned to day
Heaven came down
And Glory filled my soul

2 Born of the Spirit with life from above
Into God’s family divine,
Justified fully thru Calvary’s love
O what a standing is mine!
And the transaction so quickly was made
When as a sinner I came,
Took of the offer of Grace
He did proffer He Saved me,
O praise His dear Name!

3 Now I’ve a hope that will surely endure
After the passing of time;
I have a future in heaven for sure
There in those mansions sublime
And It’s because of that wonderful day
When at rhe Cross I believed;
Riches eternal and blessings supernal
From His pecious hand I received.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Psalms 43-49
AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A ADEBOYE