10-10-2018, 11:34 AM
OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL
DATE: WEDNESDAY 10TH OCTOBER 2018
THEME: THE WILL OF GOD.
MEMORISE:
He went away again the second time, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if this cup may not pass away from me, except I drink it, thy will be done. Matthew 26:42
READ: Matthew 6:9-10
9 After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.
10 Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.
James 4:13-15
13 Go to now, ye that say, To day or to morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain:
14 Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.
15 For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that.
MESSAGE
Because God is the creator of all things in heaven and on earth, He holds supreme authority over everything, and He does whatever pleases Him (Psalm 135:6). His desire is that every creature in heaven and on earth should do His will. The will of God is God’s plan and purpose for each entity in His creation at any given time. Only those who have submitted themselves to the Lordship of Jesus Christ can readily do God’s will from their heart (Psalm 40:8). There is only one person on earth who knows the will of God at any particular time and 1 Corinthians 2:11 reveals that person:
“For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.”
Therefore, anyone who does not have the Holy spirit dwelling in him or her can neither know nor be submissive to the will God (1 Corinthians 2:14, Romans 8:7). Even if such people attend church meetings and worship service, they will still find the word of God and the lifestyle of His kingdom questionable, burdensome and even offensive.
Whenever an unconverted person is confronted with the will of God as revealed through His words, an antagonistic tension develops in their heart, which the conviction of the Holy Spirit works to douse. Because the corrupt carnal nature of man sees itself as the master of the universe, human beings love to exercise their freewill over everything, including the forces of nature and even God’s divine power. This has led some people to erroneously see the power of the human freewill as being superior to God’s divine authority. However, children of God do not walk in this folly. As children of God, we recognize that the exercise of freewill outside the will of God is false freedom which leads to slavery and captivity to worldly pleasures, addictions, pride, inordinate ambition, immortality, and the like. These are the very same things that Jesus sacrificed so much to deliver us from. Therefore, we submit our freewill to God in the process of discovering and following God’s purpose for our lives. Any exercise of freedom that gives a person the liberty to live recklessly without due consideration for divine purpose and life after death is actually the freedom of fools. God’s will for His children is always good and in their best interest (Jeremiah 29:11). It is the essence of life and the only way by which we can fulfill our destiny. You can continually know God’s will for your life by discerning it in the place of prayer (Ephesians 5:17, Colossians 1:9). Your Heavenly Father expects you to ensure that His will be done in your life, family, church and community (Matthew 6:10). Are you doing this?
PRAYER POINT:
Father, I submit myself anew to the Lordship of Your Spirit. Please let Your will be done in my life in Jesus’ Name.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Isaiah 48-50
Luke 4:14-37
AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE
HYMN 4: TRUST AND OBEY.
1. When we walk with the Lord in the light of His Word,
What a glory He sheds on our way!
While we do His good will, He abides with us still,
And with all who will trust and obey.
o Refrain:
Trust and obey, for there’s no other way
To be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.
2. Not a shadow can rise, not a cloud in the skies,
But His smile quickly drives it away;
Not a doubt or a fear, not a sigh or a tear,
Can abide while we trust and obey.
3. Not a burden we bear, not a sorrow we share,
But our toil He doth richly repay;
Not a grief or a loss, not a frown or a cross,
But is blessed if we trust and obey.
4. But we never can prove the delights of His love
Until all on the altar we lay;
For the favor He shows, for the joy He bestows,
Are for them who will trust and obey.
5. Then in fellowship sweet we will sit at His feet,
Or we’ll walk by His side in the way;
What He says we will do, where He sends we will go;
Never fear, only trust and obey.
DATE: WEDNESDAY 10TH OCTOBER 2018
THEME: THE WILL OF GOD.
MEMORISE:
He went away again the second time, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if this cup may not pass away from me, except I drink it, thy will be done. Matthew 26:42
READ: Matthew 6:9-10
9 After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.
10 Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.
James 4:13-15
13 Go to now, ye that say, To day or to morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain:
14 Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.
15 For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that.
MESSAGE
Because God is the creator of all things in heaven and on earth, He holds supreme authority over everything, and He does whatever pleases Him (Psalm 135:6). His desire is that every creature in heaven and on earth should do His will. The will of God is God’s plan and purpose for each entity in His creation at any given time. Only those who have submitted themselves to the Lordship of Jesus Christ can readily do God’s will from their heart (Psalm 40:8). There is only one person on earth who knows the will of God at any particular time and 1 Corinthians 2:11 reveals that person:
“For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.”
Therefore, anyone who does not have the Holy spirit dwelling in him or her can neither know nor be submissive to the will God (1 Corinthians 2:14, Romans 8:7). Even if such people attend church meetings and worship service, they will still find the word of God and the lifestyle of His kingdom questionable, burdensome and even offensive.
Whenever an unconverted person is confronted with the will of God as revealed through His words, an antagonistic tension develops in their heart, which the conviction of the Holy Spirit works to douse. Because the corrupt carnal nature of man sees itself as the master of the universe, human beings love to exercise their freewill over everything, including the forces of nature and even God’s divine power. This has led some people to erroneously see the power of the human freewill as being superior to God’s divine authority. However, children of God do not walk in this folly. As children of God, we recognize that the exercise of freewill outside the will of God is false freedom which leads to slavery and captivity to worldly pleasures, addictions, pride, inordinate ambition, immortality, and the like. These are the very same things that Jesus sacrificed so much to deliver us from. Therefore, we submit our freewill to God in the process of discovering and following God’s purpose for our lives. Any exercise of freedom that gives a person the liberty to live recklessly without due consideration for divine purpose and life after death is actually the freedom of fools. God’s will for His children is always good and in their best interest (Jeremiah 29:11). It is the essence of life and the only way by which we can fulfill our destiny. You can continually know God’s will for your life by discerning it in the place of prayer (Ephesians 5:17, Colossians 1:9). Your Heavenly Father expects you to ensure that His will be done in your life, family, church and community (Matthew 6:10). Are you doing this?
PRAYER POINT:
Father, I submit myself anew to the Lordship of Your Spirit. Please let Your will be done in my life in Jesus’ Name.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Isaiah 48-50
Luke 4:14-37
AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE
HYMN 4: TRUST AND OBEY.
1. When we walk with the Lord in the light of His Word,
What a glory He sheds on our way!
While we do His good will, He abides with us still,
And with all who will trust and obey.
o Refrain:
Trust and obey, for there’s no other way
To be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.
2. Not a shadow can rise, not a cloud in the skies,
But His smile quickly drives it away;
Not a doubt or a fear, not a sigh or a tear,
Can abide while we trust and obey.
3. Not a burden we bear, not a sorrow we share,
But our toil He doth richly repay;
Not a grief or a loss, not a frown or a cross,
But is blessed if we trust and obey.
4. But we never can prove the delights of His love
Until all on the altar we lay;
For the favor He shows, for the joy He bestows,
Are for them who will trust and obey.
5. Then in fellowship sweet we will sit at His feet,
Or we’ll walk by His side in the way;
What He says we will do, where He sends we will go;
Never fear, only trust and obey.