05-16-2019, 09:03 AM
OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL
DATE: THURSDAY 16TH MAY 2019
THEME: GIVING THAT HONORS TO GOD.
MEMORISE:
Honour the LORD with thy substance, and
with the firstfruits of all thine increase:
Proverbs 3:9
READ: Genesis 22:10-18
10 And Abraham stretched forth his hand,
and took the knife to slay his son.
11 And the angel of the LORD called unto
him out of heaven, and said, Abraham,
Abraham: and he said, Here am I.
12 And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the
lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for
now I know that thou fearest God, seeing
thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only
son from me.
13 And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and
looked, and behold behind him a ram
caught in a thicket by his horns: and
Abraham went and took the ram, and
offered him up for a burnt offering in the
stead of his son.
14 And Abraham called the name of that
place Jehovahjireh: as it is said to this day, In
the mount of the LORD it shall be seen.
15 And the angel of the LORD called unto
Abraham out of heaven the second time,
16 And said, By myself have I sworn, saith
the LORD, for because thou hast done this
thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine
only son:
17 That in blessing I will bless thee, and in
multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the
stars of the heaven, and as the sand which
is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall
possess the gate of his enemies;
18 And in thy seed shall all the nations of the
earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed
my voice.
MESSAGE
Many of us desire the blessing of Abraham
and this is a good thing. However, how
many of us are ready to do the things
Abraham did? Abraham gave gifts that
honored God, so much that God swore by
Himself to bless Him. After Abraham gave his
very best on the altar of sacrifice, God said
to him in Genesis 22:16-17:
“16 And said, By myself have I sworn, saith
the LORD, for because thou hast done this
thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine
only son: That in blessing I will bless thee,
and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as
the stars of the heaven, and as the sand
which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed
shall possess the gate of his enemies;”
Our God is not a respecter of persons. If you
can also honor Him with your giving, He is
ready to give you a blessing that has
everlasting value in return.
The most precious thing you can give to
honor God is your life. Just as God
demanded the son of promise as a burnt
sacrifice from Abraham, so does He demand
your life. He says to you today:
My son, give me thine heart, and let thine
eyes observe my ways.
Proverbs 23:26
The devil is also struggling to have your
heart so that he can thwart the great plans
of God for your life. When you choose to
give your heart to God, you have done Him a
great honor, and you will find favor in His
sight and in the sight of men (Proverbs 3:4).
Another form of giving which honors God is
found in today’s memory verse. Giving God
the first fruit of your increase is an act of
faith that brings delight to His heart. There is
no ambiguity as to what we stand to gain
from this. In Proverbs 3:10, He clearly says:
“So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and
thy presses shall burst out with new wine.”
Unfortunately, many Christians still argue
against the doctrine of first fruits. Some say
that it belongs to the Old Testament, and I
ask them whether the Old testament is not
part of God’s word to us. There are some
pleasant promises of God we love which are
only found in the Old Testament. We do not
say we will not key into them because they
are only in the Old Testament, so why ignore
the doctrine of first fruit? Beloved, give God
your best today. Honor Him by offering your
spirit, soul and body to Him as a living
sacrifice in holiness and acceptable service
(Romans 12:1-2). I pray that the Lord will
grant you grace to completely obey His
command like Abraham the father of faith,
did.
PRAYER POINT:
Father, please give me a heart of flesh that is
receptive to keeping Your precepts.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Exodus 26-26
Jeremiah 36:4-19
AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE
HYMN 4: TAKE MY LIFE, AND LET IT BE
1.Take my life and let it be
Consecrated, Lord, to Thee.
Take my moments and my days,
Let them flow in endless praise,
Let them flow in endless praise.
2.Take my hands and let them move
At the impulse of Thy love.
Take my feet and let them be
Swift and beautiful for Thee,
Swift and beautiful for Thee.
3.Take my voice and let me sing,
Always, only for my King.
Take my lips and let them be
Filled with messages from Thee,
Filled with messages from Thee.
4. Take my silver and my gold,
Not a mite would I withhold.
Take my intellect and use
Every pow’r as Thou shalt choose,
Every pow’r as Thou shalt choose.
5. Take my will and make it Thine,
It shall be no longer mine.
Take my heart, it is Thine own,
It shall be Thy royal throne,
It shall be Thy royal throne.
6. Take my love, my Lord, I pour
At Thy feet its treasure store.
Take myself and I will be
Ever, only, all for Thee,
Ever, only, all for Thee.
DATE: THURSDAY 16TH MAY 2019
THEME: GIVING THAT HONORS TO GOD.
MEMORISE:
Honour the LORD with thy substance, and
with the firstfruits of all thine increase:
Proverbs 3:9
READ: Genesis 22:10-18
10 And Abraham stretched forth his hand,
and took the knife to slay his son.
11 And the angel of the LORD called unto
him out of heaven, and said, Abraham,
Abraham: and he said, Here am I.
12 And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the
lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for
now I know that thou fearest God, seeing
thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only
son from me.
13 And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and
looked, and behold behind him a ram
caught in a thicket by his horns: and
Abraham went and took the ram, and
offered him up for a burnt offering in the
stead of his son.
14 And Abraham called the name of that
place Jehovahjireh: as it is said to this day, In
the mount of the LORD it shall be seen.
15 And the angel of the LORD called unto
Abraham out of heaven the second time,
16 And said, By myself have I sworn, saith
the LORD, for because thou hast done this
thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine
only son:
17 That in blessing I will bless thee, and in
multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the
stars of the heaven, and as the sand which
is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall
possess the gate of his enemies;
18 And in thy seed shall all the nations of the
earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed
my voice.
MESSAGE
Many of us desire the blessing of Abraham
and this is a good thing. However, how
many of us are ready to do the things
Abraham did? Abraham gave gifts that
honored God, so much that God swore by
Himself to bless Him. After Abraham gave his
very best on the altar of sacrifice, God said
to him in Genesis 22:16-17:
“16 And said, By myself have I sworn, saith
the LORD, for because thou hast done this
thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine
only son: That in blessing I will bless thee,
and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as
the stars of the heaven, and as the sand
which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed
shall possess the gate of his enemies;”
Our God is not a respecter of persons. If you
can also honor Him with your giving, He is
ready to give you a blessing that has
everlasting value in return.
The most precious thing you can give to
honor God is your life. Just as God
demanded the son of promise as a burnt
sacrifice from Abraham, so does He demand
your life. He says to you today:
My son, give me thine heart, and let thine
eyes observe my ways.
Proverbs 23:26
The devil is also struggling to have your
heart so that he can thwart the great plans
of God for your life. When you choose to
give your heart to God, you have done Him a
great honor, and you will find favor in His
sight and in the sight of men (Proverbs 3:4).
Another form of giving which honors God is
found in today’s memory verse. Giving God
the first fruit of your increase is an act of
faith that brings delight to His heart. There is
no ambiguity as to what we stand to gain
from this. In Proverbs 3:10, He clearly says:
“So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and
thy presses shall burst out with new wine.”
Unfortunately, many Christians still argue
against the doctrine of first fruits. Some say
that it belongs to the Old Testament, and I
ask them whether the Old testament is not
part of God’s word to us. There are some
pleasant promises of God we love which are
only found in the Old Testament. We do not
say we will not key into them because they
are only in the Old Testament, so why ignore
the doctrine of first fruit? Beloved, give God
your best today. Honor Him by offering your
spirit, soul and body to Him as a living
sacrifice in holiness and acceptable service
(Romans 12:1-2). I pray that the Lord will
grant you grace to completely obey His
command like Abraham the father of faith,
did.
PRAYER POINT:
Father, please give me a heart of flesh that is
receptive to keeping Your precepts.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Exodus 26-26
Jeremiah 36:4-19
AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE
HYMN 4: TAKE MY LIFE, AND LET IT BE
1.Take my life and let it be
Consecrated, Lord, to Thee.
Take my moments and my days,
Let them flow in endless praise,
Let them flow in endless praise.
2.Take my hands and let them move
At the impulse of Thy love.
Take my feet and let them be
Swift and beautiful for Thee,
Swift and beautiful for Thee.
3.Take my voice and let me sing,
Always, only for my King.
Take my lips and let them be
Filled with messages from Thee,
Filled with messages from Thee.
4. Take my silver and my gold,
Not a mite would I withhold.
Take my intellect and use
Every pow’r as Thou shalt choose,
Every pow’r as Thou shalt choose.
5. Take my will and make it Thine,
It shall be no longer mine.
Take my heart, it is Thine own,
It shall be Thy royal throne,
It shall be Thy royal throne.
6. Take my love, my Lord, I pour
At Thy feet its treasure store.
Take myself and I will be
Ever, only, all for Thee,
Ever, only, all for Thee.