Open Heaven May 27 2018: Grace I

Open Heaven 27 May 2018 Memorise
Surely he scorneth the scorners: but he giveth grace unto the lowly. Proverbs 3:34

Open Heaven 27 May 2018 Bible Reading Genesis 6 :1-8

⁴ The Nephilim were on the earth in those days—and also afterward—when the sons of God went to the daughters of humans and had children by them. They were the heroes of old, men of renown.

Open Heaven 27 May 2018 Bible in one year: 1 kings 3-4, Jude 1

Grace I’d commonly used in the Bible to describe the demonstration of God’s goodwill towards mankind, embodied in the person of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the effects of that goodwill on human lives. Throughout the Bible, God showed himself gracious in his dealings with mankind.

In the old testament, the grace of God is spoken of in relation to three overlapping terms, which are goodness, love and mercy. Each time the word ‘grace’ is used in the Bible, it connotes God’s goodness , love and mercy towards humanity. I pray that God will be gracious to you, and that you will continue to enjoy His grace throughout your life in Jesus’ Name. Open Heaven May 26 2018

God’s grace was responsible for Noah’s appointment into the special assignment that led to his entire family surviving the flood (Genesis 6:8). However, Psalm 145:9 says :

” The LORD is good to all: and his tender mercies are over all his works.”

Although the application of God’s grace can be selective like in Noah’s case, its available to all the works of God. Everything that God created, both living and non living things, enjoy God’s grace. God upholds those who are falling and lifts up those who are bowed down by His grace.

He opens His hands to supply all creatures their food and substances, thereby satisfying the desire of every living thing. God by his love and mercy provides for plants and animals alike , ensuring that whatever they need is made available within their reach.

Open Heaven 27 May 2018

After pondering the goodness of the Lord, the psalmist in Psalms 145 declared that God is near to those who call upon Him, and He meets all their needs by his grace. While speaking on the grace of God in several passages of the Bible, the Holy Spirit demonstrates that this grace is universal in nature. The Holy Spirit speaks about God’s providence in caring for all His creatures, His help for the needy, His love and compassion for the oppressed, and his concern for the sickly and the weak.

All these are demonstrations of Gods grace. Any one who is thoughtful would find abundant evidence of the steadfast love of the Lord demonstrated throughout the whole universe. That is why Psalms 150:6 says

“Let everything that hath breath praise the LORD. Praise ye the LORD.”

God, by his grace , has counted us worthy to be chosen amongst the people of the world as His own special people, redeemed by the precious Blood of His Son, thereby making us His own special possession (1 Peter 2:9).

Obviously, God has not treated us according to what our evil deeds deserve. Our continued existence testifies to his redeeming grace , and this same grace provided the basis for our status as children of the Most High God. Let somebody shout hallelujah.

Open Heaven 27 May 2018 Prayer Point:
Father, please do not let your grace go to waste in my life in Jesus’ Name

Open Heaven 27 May 2018 Hymnal: Hymn 13

WONDERFUL STORY OF LOVE

Verse 1:

Wonderful story of love;

Tell it to me again;
Wonderful story of love;
Wake the immortal strain!
Angels with rapture announce it,
Shepherds with wonder receive it;
Sinner, O won’t you believe it?

Chorus:

Wonderful story of love,
Wonderful! Wonderful!
Wonderful, wonderful story of love.

Verse 2:

Wonderful story of love;
Though you are far away;
Wonderful story of love;
Still He doth call today;
Calling from Calvary’s mountain,
Down from the crystal bright fountain,
E’en from the dawn of creation,

Chorus:

Verse 3:

Wonderful story of love;
Jesus provides a rest;
Wonderful story of love;
For all the pure and blest,
Rest in those mansions above us,
With those who’ve gone on before us,
Singing the rapturous chorus,

Chorus:

Open Heaven May  26 2018 – Good Neighbourliness II

Open Heaven May  26 2018 Memorise
For I was hungry and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, ye took me in:  Matthew 25:35

Open Heaven May  26 2018 Bible Reading Luke 10:30-37

³⁶ “Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?”

Open Heaven May  26 2018 Bible in one Year: 1 Kings 2, 2John , 3 John

In Matthew 25:31 -33, the Lord Jesus Christ gave us a sneak preview of what Judgement Day will be like, and it was surprising that good neighbourliness is the only standard that was used to separate the sheep from the goats in this narrative. The Lord did this to prepare our minds for the events of the last days when people will become selfish and individualism would be rife. 2 Timothy 3:1-2 says,

” This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves…”

May I announce to you that this time is upon us. We live in times when advent of social media and smartphones has drastically reduced human to human interaction, with the attendant effect that people have little or no empathy and wicked acts are the norm.

These days , people.hardly know what is going on with their next door neighbour while they are very much aware with what is going on with people thousands of miles away whom they have never met. May the Lord open our heart to what is needful in Jesus’ Name.

Good neighbourliness involves sacrifice. When you consider the parable of the good Samaritan, it is easy to imagine what was going through the mind of the priest who passed by the wounded man and did nothing. He might have said to himself that it is not in his place to help since he was not a medical practitioner or law enforcement agent. He might have poundered in his heart that the location was not safe for anyone to delay, and that  while trying to help, robbers might attack him and make him another of their  victims.

Open Heaven May  26 2018

He might also have thought that stopping to assist the wounded man would eat terribly into his time , thereby making him late for his important appointment. Although these are all valid reasons not to stop by and help, anyone who is willing to make sacrifice will set aside all these reasons and help a neighbour in distress. The church of God must fill the gap created by deficiency of modern society, which has brought about unemployment, domestic violence, child abuse, divorce, drug addiction, sexual immortality and other unfortunate situations. Open Heaven 25 May 2018

The Christian community must provide human warmth, homeliness ,lobe and care in places ravaged by individualism, loneliness and lack of trust. As modern society becomes increasingly hostile and dishumanising children of God must become increasingly accomodating, peaceful, hospitable and caring. Good neighbourliness is a very important fruit of a transformed life and confirms that we posses the nature of God.

Open Heaven May  26 2018 Action point
Plan a course of action to reach out to lonely people around us with God’s love.

Open Heaven May  26 2018 Hymnal: Hymn 12

1. O LORD my God! When I in awesome wonder

Consider all the works Thy hand hath made;

I see the stars, I hear the mighty thunder,

Thy pow’r throughout the universe displayed:

Chorus:

Then sings my soul, my Saviour God, to Thee,

How great Thou art! How great Thou art!

Then sings my soul, my Saviour God, to Thee,

How great Thou art! How great Thou art!

2. When through the woods and forest glades I wander

And hear the birds sing sweetly in the trees;

When I look down from lofty mountain grandeur,

And hear the brook, and feel the gentle breeze:

Chorus:

3. And when I think that God, His Son not sparing,

Sent Him to die – I scarce can take it in:

That on the Cross, my burden gladly bearing,

He bled and died to take away my sin:

Chorus:

4. When Christ shall come with shout of acclamation

And take me home – what joy shall fill my heart!

Then shall I bow in humble adoration,

And there proclaim, my God how great Thou art!

Chorus.

Open Heaven May 25 2018 – Good Neighbourliness I

Open Heaven May 25 2018 Memorise
And he answering said, Thou shall love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength , and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself.
Luke 10:27

Open Heaven May 25 2018 Bible reading
2Kings 4:1-6

The Widow’s Olive Oil

1. The wife of a man from the company of the prophets cried out to Elisha, “Your servant my husband is dead, and you know that he revered the Lord. But now his creditor is coming to take my two boys as his slaves.”

² Elisha replied to her, “How can I help you? Tell me, what do you have in your house?” “Your servant has nothing there at all,” she said, “except a small jar of olive oil.”

³ Elisha said, “Go around and ask all your neighbors for empty jars. Don’t ask for just a few.

⁴ Then go inside and shut the door behind you and your sons. Pour oil into all the jars, and as each is filled, put it to one side.”

⁵ She left him and shut the door behind her and her sons. They brought the jars to her and she kept pouring.

⁶ When all the jars were full, she said to her son, “Bring me another one.”But he replied, “There is not a jar left.” Then the oil stopped flowing.

Open Heaven May 25 2018 Bible in one year: 1 Kings 1, 1 John 5

Today’s Bible reading tells thr story of the widow of one of the sons of the prophets, whose late husband owed some money to a heartless creditor, who threatened to take away her two sons as slaves.

After listening to her complaint, the man of God said to her in 2 kings 4:3

“… Go, borrow thee vessels abroad of all thy neighbours, even empty vessels; borrow not a few.”

This instruction indirectly placed the solution to her problems in the hands of her neighbours, because her ability to get the many empty vessels she needed depended on how good a neighbour she had been

Among the Jewish people in the Bible days , loams were not supposed to be commercial in nature; rather, they were to be given on charitable terms. For example , interest free loans would be given to assist a peasant Farmer during a period of poverty. The primary motivation of borrowers was to obtain a relief from need rather than to further their economic enterprises. For this reason, lending with interest to the poor was prohibited in Exodus 22:25.

God’s expectation is that lending to the poor will be a form of sacrifice motivated by the spirit of mercy and compassion in obedience to Him ( Proverbs 3:27-28). Although the Bible encourages us not to deny the poor and needy who approach us for help , we determine who deserves our help and how far we are ready to go on their behalf based on factors such as good neighbourliness.

Open Heaven May 25 2018

In Acts 9:36-41, the neighbours of Tabitha protested vehemently against her death and pleaded passionately with Apostle Peter for her to be raised back to life because she was full of good works and alms deeds. In Luke 7:1-10, the elders of the Jews approached Jesus on behalf of a centurion who had a sick servant. Open Heaven May 26 2018

They pleaded with Him, saying this man deserved His assistance because he had shown his love for them by building a synagogue. Without controversy, good neighbourliness played a very big role in these cases we have considered. In the case of the widow in 2 kings 4:1-6, the fact that she went to her neighbours and got the vessels she needed indicates that she had been a good neighbour to them.

Imagine if she was the kind of person who was not known to her neighbours or if she was a proud and difficult person; she would have been denied those vessels she needed and her miracle would have been a mirage, God charged us in Romans 12:18 to live peacefully with all men, knowing fully well that apart from it being a source to us, a peaceful coexistence with our neighbours will give us the much needed opportunity to preach the good news to them.

Open Heaven May 25 2018 Action point:
Make peace with every neighbour you are not at peace with.

Open Heaven May 25 2018 Hymnal
Sing Hymn 12

1. O LORD my God! When I in awesome wonder

Consider all the works Thy hand hath made;

I see the stars, I hear the mighty thunder,

Thy pow’r throughout the universe displayed:

Prayer Points on Today’s Open Heavens: (Wednesday, May 23, 2018) – Total Submission

1.I worship and adore you, my Father, because you are the Alpha and the Omega; the Beginning and the End.

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

3.Father, please, give me the mind and the heart of Christ, in Jesus’ name.

4.Father, give me a humble spirit that recognises authority and submits to it, without any resistance, in Jesus’ name.

5.Father, let every spirit of disobedience in my life against constituted authority and spiritual leaders, be consumed by your fire, in Jesus’ name.

6.Father, make me not only the hearer of your word but also the doer, in Jesus’ name.

7.Father, let me be well grounded and rooted in your word, that I may withstand and survive any storm, that may come my way, in Jesus’ name.

8.Father, release upon my life, the grace for complete obedience and total submission to your Will and purpose, in Jesus’ name.

9.Father, please, break me down and remould me, by the power of your Holy Spirit, that I may become like you, in Jesus’ name.

10.Father, let every spirit of rebellion, pride and arrogance, in my life, be consumed by your fire, in Jesus’ name.

11.Father, arise, and scatter every opposition being sponsored, from the pit of hell, against Pastor E.A. Adeboye, and his ministry, 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)..

Prayer Points on Today’s Open Heavens: (Tuesday, May 22, 2018) – Exercising Your Delegated Authority

1.Thank you, Father, for giving me power, authority and dominion, over all the things, you have created.

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

3.Father, make me a permanent carrier of your presence, power and anointing, in Jesus’ name.

4.I take authority over demons, principalities, powers, dominions and spiritual wickedness, in heavenly places, in Jesus’ name.

5.I tread upon serpents and scorpions of this world, and I render them venomless and stingless over my life and family, in Jesus’ name.

6.Father, as I journey through life, let every satanic road block mounted by Satan and his agents on my way, be dismantled, in Jesus’ name.

7.Father, please, make a way for me, where there seems to be none, financially, materially and spiritually, in Jesus’ name.

8.Father, let all the stubborn pursuers of my life and destiny, be drowned in the red sea of their own making, in Jesus’ name.

9.Father, when confronted with the storms and challenges of life, remind me of the authority that I carry, and show me the exact weapon to use to redeem the situation, in Jesus’ name.

10.Father, plead my cause, fight my battles, let all my enemies be confounded and put to open shame and ridicule, in Jesus’ name.

11.Father, surround Pastor E.A. Adeboye, with your fire; let evil arrows targeted against him and his family, go back to sender, 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 HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL FOR TEENS AND CHILDREN TUESDAY 22TH MAY 2018: DREAMS: WHAT SOURCE?

MEMORISE: For a dream cometh through the multitude of business; and a fool’s voice is known by multitude of words. Ecclesiastes 5:3

Please read: Deuteronomy 13:1-5

MESSAGE:
A dream usually comes when you are deep in sleep at night. There are different categories of dreams. Isaiah 29:8 says if a man is hungry or thirsty and falls asleep, he would dream that he is eating or drinking; these are need-based dreams. Open Heaven 23 May 2018

Another way a dream could come is in response to your thoughts. When you think or worry too much about something during the day, you are likely to dream about
it at night.

Not all dreams emanate from God, some are from the devil.

Deuteronomy 13:1-5 says that any dream that might lead you away from God is not from God. No dream from God will violate the written Word of God. Many have been deceived into wrong decisions and actions through their dreams. This is why you must be conversant with the Bible. Ask God for divine dreams from His Throne of Grace.

ACTION POINT:
Scrutinise every dream and determine the source and purpose so that you will know how to handle it.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
1 Chronicles 6-7
John 8:21-36

Hymn 16
1. Christian, seek not yet repose,
Hear thy gracious Savior say;
Thou art in the midst of foes:
Watch and pray.

2. Principalities and power,
Mustering their unseen array,
Wait for the unguarded hours:
Watch and pray.

3. Gird the heavenly armor on,
Wear it every night and day;
Ambushed lies the evil one:
Watch and pray.

4. Hear the victors who o’ercame,
Still they mark each warriors’s way;
All with one sweet voice exclaim,
Watch and pray.

5. Hear, above all, hear thy Lord,
Him thou lovest to obey;
Hide within thy heart His word:
Watch and pray.

6. Watch, as if on that alone
Hung the issue of the day;
Pray, that help may be sent down:
Watch and pray.

Prayer Points on Today’s Open Heavens: (Monday, May 21th, 2018) – Under Authority?

1.Thank you, Father, for the grace and opportunity to be a worker and minister, in your vineyard.

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

3.Father, let every spirit of rebellion in my life, against the authority of the spiritual leader you have placed me under, be consumed, by your fire, in Jesus’ name.

4.Father, let every spirit of pride, self – will and arrogance that have caused many to fall out of grace, be far away from me, in Jesus’ name.

5.Father, let every loophole that I have created for the enemies to attack me because of my own rebellious stance and attitude, be closed by your mercy, in Jesus’ name.

6.Father, let your mercy terminate every consequence of past rebellion and disobedience, that I am currently suffering, in Jesus’ name.

7.Father, please, give me a humble, teachable and submissive spirit; give me the grace to stay under the authority of the spiritual leader, you have chosen for me, in Jesus’ name.

8.Father, make me not only the hearer of your word, but also the doer, in Jesus’ name.

9.Father, I believe all your promises, for my life, please, let there be a performance, in Jesus’ name.

10.Father, keep me holy, undefiled and rapturable till the end; admit me into your secret place, and help me to abide under your shadows, forever, in Jesus’ name.

11.Father, arise and scatter, every satanic gang up and opposition, against the ministry of Pastor E.A. Adeboye, 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 24 MAY 2018 – OBSERVING THE TIMES AND SEASONS?

Open Heaven 24 May 2018 Memorise:
Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come. Matthew 24: 42

Open Heaven 24 May 2018 Bible reading: 2 Timothy 3:1-9

⁵ Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:

⁶ Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:

⁷ But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:

⁸ And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.

Open Heaven 24 May 2018 Bible Reading in one year: 2 Samuel 23-24 and 1 John 4

In the realm of the spirit, being watchful means being alert to the current needs of the Christian race and being prepared for future happenings that will impact your eternal destination. The most prominent of all future events predicted in the Bible is the second coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, which will precede the eventual end of the world. The disciples asked Jesus about 2000 years ago what would be the sign of His second coming and the end of the world.

In Matthew chapter 24, Jesus responded with a detailed explanation of the events that will signal His impending arrival. In today’s Bible reading, children of God are advised to get ready for perilous times, false doctrines, deceivers, false prophets, high-mindedness of men, physical and spiritual welfare, increase in knowledge and technological advancements, worldliness and apostasy. In addition, all humanity is enjoined to get ready for the judgement to come. I pray that you will not be left behind when the rapture occurs in Jesus’ Name.

“Watch ye therefore: for ye know not when the master of the house cometh, at even, or at midnight, or at the cockcrowing, or in the morning: lest coming suddenly he find you sleeping. And what I say unto you I say unto all, watch.” Mark 13:35-37

The admonition of our Lord to us in times as these is to watch. Current happenings around the world show clearly that we are on the end times. As children of God, we cannot that we are in the end times. As children of God, we cannot afford to lose focus for a moment. Our hearts must be kept with all diligence under constant watchfulness. Open Heaven 23 May 2018

Open Heaven 24 May 2018

We must be on the lookout for the crafty approach of the enemy to attack the authority of the Bible. We must watch against worldliness and the quest for ungodly pleasures. We must watch against deception, false prophets, the introduction of another “gospel”, sexual immortality and societal acceptance of sinful practices. On a personal level, you must be sober and vigilant in watching against temptations such as pride, high-mindedness, self-righteousness, complacency, lukewarmness, backsliding, spiritual barrenness, stagnancy and rebellion against constituted authority. You must not be confounded by the negative news on wars, natural disasters, acts of terrorism, economic meltdown, natural tragedies and civil unrest around the world.

You should rather respond appropriately as one who has been adequately informed and is therefore well prepared for the rapture. The Lord expects you to be sober, vigilant and very consistent in Prayer. You must pray for your leaders, the church of God, your community and your family. My desire is that if the trumpet should sound today, you will be raptured in Jesus’ Name.

Open Heaven 24 May 2018 Key Point:
What concrete steps have you taken this year to prepare for Christ’s second coming?

OPEN HEAVENS 23 MAY 2018 – TOTAL SUBMISSION

Open Heavens 23 May 2018 Memorise:
Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again. John 10:17

Open Heavens 23 May 2018 Bible reading: Philippians 2:5-8

⁵ Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:

⁶ Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:

⁷ But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:

⁸ And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.

Open Heavens 23 May 2018 Bible reading in one year 2 Samuel 21-22 and 1 John 2:28-3:24

Submission is a humble attitude wherein authority is duly recognised and obedience is willingly rendered without any resistance whatsoever. God commands submission to Himself, to civil authorities and to appointed leaders in His church (James 4:7, 1 Peter 2:13, Hebrew 13:17).

Submission is also commanded in relationships such as marriage (Colossians 3:18). The crux of the message of our Lord Jesus Christ is submission to the will and purpose of God as revealed in His word. In Matthew 7:24-27, He said those who hear the word of God and submit to its authority in obedience can be likened to a wise person who built his or her house upon the rock, and the house survived a terrible storm. Open Heaven 22 May 2018

In contrast, He compared those who reject the authority of God’s word to a foolish person who built his or her house on sandy soil without strong foundations, and the house was destroyed by the storm. Therefore, not being submissive to the word of God, which manifests itself as disobedience, is very costly indeed. I pray that you will receive the grace to submit totally to the will of God concerning your life today in Jesus’ Name.

Open Heavens 23 May 2018

Our Lord Jesus Christ is the perfect example of submission. Today’s Bible reading reveals the extent He went to in order to submit Himself to His Father. No wonder the Holy spirit wants us to have the same mind that He had. In John 10:17, Jesus revealed that total submission is the secret of the Father’s love for Him. Hear what he said to the Father in Hebrews 10:7 when He is was coming into the world:

“Then said I, lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will O God.”

Concerning submission of the Lord Jesus Christ, Hebrews 6:8 also says:

“Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered;”

Jesus learnt to obey God’s instructions even when He knew it would personal loss and suffering for Him. Little wonder the Bible says He was obedient unto death. This obedience unto death was demonstrated in Matthew 26:39 when He was faced with the reality of death on the cross, and He made this agonising prayer to God saying:

“…O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.”

For Jesus, obedience to God was His primary concern, and every other thing, Including His personal interest, was secondary. May the Lord give His church this same mindset in Jesus’ Name.

Open Heavens 23 May 2018 Key Point:
If you want to get the same results that Jesus got, be submissive to God like He was

OPEN HEAVEN 22 MAY 2018 – EXERCISING YOUR DELEGATED AUTHORITY

Open Heaven 22 May 2018 Memorise:
And the Lord said unto Moses, wherefore criest thou into me? Speak unto the children of Israel, that they go forward. Exodus 14:15

Open Heaven 22 May 2018 Bible reading: Exodus 14:10-16 and Luke 10:19

¹⁰ As Pharaoh approached, the Israelites looked up and saw the Egyptians marching after them, and they were very frightened; so the Israelites cried out to the Lord. 

¹¹ Then they said to Moses, “Is it because there are no graves in Egypt that you have taken us away to die in the wilderness? What is this that you have done to us by bringing us out of Egypt? 

¹² Did we not say to you in Egypt, ‘Leave us alone; let us serve the Egyptians?’ For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians [as slaves] than to die in the wilderness.”

The Sea Is Divided

¹³ Then Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid! Take your stand [be firm and confident and undismayed] and see the salvation of the Lord which He will accomplish for you today; for those Egyptians whom you have seen today, you will never see again. 

¹⁴ The Lord will fight for you while you [only need to] keep silent and remain calm.”

¹⁵ The Lord said to Moses, “Why do you cry to Me? Tell the sons of Israel to move forward [toward the sea]. 

¹⁶ As for you, lift up your staff and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it, so that the sons of Israel may go through the middle of the sea on dry land.

Open Heaven 22 May 2018 Bible Reading in one year 2 Samuel 19-20 and 1 John 2:7-27

It is one thing to be given authority, and it is another thing to exercise the authority delegated. Some Christians are suffering today because they do not exercise the divine authority given to them as children of God. Some children of God are like Moses in today’s Bible reading, crying helplessly at the red sea with the army of Pharaoh fast approaching. Open Heaven 21 May 2018

The children of Israel also did not help matters because they murmured against his leadership at this critical point. The perfect storm faced by Moses at the Red Sea made him forget he was and the enormous power of God had vested in him. In Exodus 7:1, God had told him:

“And the Lord said unto Moses, See, I have made thee a god to Pharaoh: and Aaron thy brother shall be thy prophet.”

Unfortunately, either Moses forgot this or his mind could not gasp the extent of its meaning. Although crying to God is not wrong by itself, there is time for everything (Ecclesiastes 3:1). This was not the time for Moses to cry; rather, it was a time for him to exercise the authority given to him by God. Nevertheless, God graciously reminded Moses that the authority to deal with the situation was already at his disposal. In Exodus 14: 15-16, God said to him:

“…Wherefore criest thou unto me? Speak unto the children of Israel, that they go forward: But lift thou up thy rod, and stretch out thine hand over the sea, and divide it: and the children of Israel shall go on dry ground through the midst of the sea”

Open Heaven 22 May 2018

Beloved, do you know that God has given you the authority to tread upon serpents and scorpions and everything they represent. Jesus Christ has given to us the power and authority to tread on all the powers of the enemy, and He promised that nothing shall by any means hurt us (Luke 10:19). However, to exercise this authority, we must live according to the dictates of the One who delegated His authority to us. A lesson from today’s story about Moses is that he exercised authority by the instructions of the Almighty God.

He was not presumptuous as many would have been. His cry to God could mean “what should I do in this situation?” Another lesson is that although the Lord had equipped him with the rod, he did not know the full extent of its power in solving the problems of the people he was leading.

In other words, God has equipped his children with the necessary authority and power not only to defend themselves but also to rescue the perishing. You have the authority to bring change to the chaos in the world around you, but are you putting this to use?

Open Heaven 22 May 2018 Prayer Point:
Stop any activity of the devil in your life and in the world around you by the authority given to you in the name of Jesus Christ.