Kenneth and Gloria Copeland’s Daily December 2, 2017 Devotional: Free Your Faith

And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have aught against any. - Mark 11:25

Few people realize just how closely connected faith and forgiveness are. Jesus taught about that connection in His sermon on mountain-moving faith that's recorded in Mark 11:22-26.

He said, "What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them. And when ye stand praying, forgive" (verses 24-25).

Jesus backed those two sentences up together on purpose. He wanted us to know that releasing those who have wronged us is fundamental to receiving from God. He wanted to impress on our hearts the fact that we cannot have our prayers answered and hold grudges in our hearts at the same time.

Unforgiveness clogs the faith channel and keeps you powerless against the mountains in your life!

If you've been praying for something and you just can't seem to get an answer, check your heart for unforgiveness. Ask the Holy Spirit to bring any grudge that's hidden there to light. Unclog the channel of faith and you will soon see things you've been praying for come to pass.

Scripture Reading: Matthew 18:21-35

This message was written by Kenneth and Gloria Copeland, the leader of the Kenneth Copeland Ministries (www.KCM.org) that specializes in teaching principles of bible faith - prayer, healing, salvation and other biblical topics.

Our Daily Bread Devotiona 2 December 2017 – Ham and Eggs

Read: 2 Chronicles 16:1–9, Bible in a Year: Ezekiel 42–44; 1 John 1

The eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him. - 2 Chronicles 16:9

In the fable of the chicken and the pig, the two animals discuss opening a restaurant together. As they plan their menu, the chicken suggests they serve ham and eggs. The pig swiftly objects saying, “No thanks. I’d be committed, but you would only be involved.”

Although the pig didn’t care to put himself on the platter, his understanding of commitment is instructive to me as I learn to better follow God with my whole heart.

To protect his kingdom, Asa, king of Judah, sought to break up a treaty between the kings of Israel and Aram. To accomplish this, he sent personal treasure along with “silver and gold out of the treasuries of the Lord’s temple” to secure favor with Ben-Hadad, the king of Aram (2 Chron. 16:2). Ben-Hadad agreed and their joint forces repelled Israel.

But God’s prophet Hanani called Asa foolish for relying on human help instead of God who had delivered other enemies into their hands. Hanani asserted, “The eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him” (v. 9).

As we face our own battles and challenges, let’s remember that God is our best ally. He strengthens us when we’re willing to “serve up” a whole-hearted commitment to Him.

Prayer: Lord, I want to rely on You more fully. Sometimes I see only what is around me. Please help me to look up and to trust You more.

When we are abandoned to God, He works through us all the time. Oswald Chambers

This message was written By Kirsten Holmberg [Our Daily Bread Ministries.]

Open Heavens daily devotional by Pastor Adeboye 2nd Dec – Backsliding: Not An Option

Memorise: Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall. – 1 Corinthians 10:12

Read: Matthew 27:3-5 (KJV)

3 Then Judas, which had betrayed him, when he saw that he was condemned, repented himself, and brought again the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders,

4 Saying, I have sinned in that I have betrayed the innocent blood. And they said, What is that to us? see thou to that.

5 And he cast down the pieces of silver in the temple, and departed, and went and hanged himself.

Bible in One Year: Psalm 89-92, Nahum 2:1-3:4, Hymn: Sing Hymn 11 – I Have Decided To Follow Jesus

MESSAGE:

One unfortunate thing about backsliding is that backsliders often fall so slowly that they hardly notice their deteriorating state. By the time some of them realise how far they have gone, it is rather too late. Are you a backslider? May the Lord restore you fully to Himself today! According to James 1:14-15, backsliding is a process that progresses from lust to sin, and ultimately ends with death. In Luke 22:3-6, Judas accepted to be paid 30 pieces of silver to betray his Master. He must have thought he was going to make some quick, free money. He probably believed that nobody would be able to capture Jesus. After all, how could anyone apprehend the man who calmed the storms by His word? However, after the plot blew up in his face, he felt so disappointed in himself that he returned the money and committed suicide by hanging himself. The question is, why steal or accumulate what you are not going to spend? Do you know that some people, who are stealing, particularly from God, will not be able to spend their evil loot? Those who steal God’s money to buy a car are only driving a moving coffin which can claim their lives at any time.

“Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.” - 1 Corinthians 10:12

On the straight and narrow way to Heaven, overconfidence has killed a lot of people, preventing them from making it to the very end. A case in point is Samson. His fall from grace, which led eventually to his tragic death, was a gradual process. From violating little instructions not to eat anything from a dead animal as a Nazarite, to unwholesome jesting and riddles that made light of the commandment of God he had broken, to visiting a harlot, and eventually ending his ministry on Delilah’s laps (Judges 14-16, Numbers 6:1-21). Overconfidence has brought many people to the pitiable place where they are now. Always remember that nobody can stand by his or her own power alone, except God helps the fellow. In fact, we are so weak that we need to always rely on God’s strength to live the Christian life. Have you ever thought or even boasted that you cannot fall? You are just like Peter who boasted that he would never deny Christ, but at the end of the day he denied Him thrice (Matthew 26:31-36). Recognize your weakness and engage in regular Bible study, prayers and fasting to draw strength from God. Furthermore, deliberately avoid any appearance of evil that can tempt you, and break any tie that can lure you back into sin. The Lord will keep you from falling, and He will restore you if you are already down.

Action Point: Pray that God will keep genuine Christian leaders across the globe from falling.

Hymn 11: I Have Decided To Follow Jesus

1. I have decided to follow Jesus;
I have decided to follow Jesus;
I have decided to follow Jesus;
No turning back, no turning back.

2. The world behind me, the cross before me;
The world behind me, the cross before me;
The world behind me, the cross before me;
No turning back, no turning back.

3. Though none go with me, still I will follow;
Though none go with me, still I will follow;
Though none go with me, still I will follow;
No turning back, no turning back.

4. My cross I’ll carry, till I see Jesus;
My cross I’ll carry, till I see Jesus;
My cross I’ll carry, till I see Jesus;
No turning back, no turning back.

5. Will you decide now to follow Jesus?
Will you decide now to follow Jesus?
Will you decide now to follow Jesus?
No turning back, no turning back.

Open Heavens Daily Devotional guide was written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye, the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, one of the largest evangelical church in the world and also the President of Christ the Redeemer's Ministries.

iOpenHeavens is the electronic version of the Hard Copy. The Open Heavens devotional application is available across all mobile platforms and operating systems: iOS, Android, Blackberry, Nokia, Windows Mobile and PC

End Time Deceivers - DCLM Daily Manna 23 September, 2017 by Pastor Kumuyi

Text: Mark 13:1-13

Key Verse: "And Jesus answering them began to say, Take heed lest any man deceive you" (Mark 13:5).

On November 18, 1978, in what became known as the "Jonestown Massacre," more than 900 members of an American cult called the Peoples Temple died in a mass suicide-murder, under the direction of their leader Jim Jones (1931-78). In the 1970s, following negative media attention, the preacher moved with some 1,000 of his followers to the Guyanese jungle, where he promised they would establish a utopian community. On November 18, 1978, while armed guards stood by, Jones ordered his followers to ingest poison-laced punch.

Christ was asked questions in our text concerning the destruction of Jerusalem, the signs of His Second Coming and of the end of the age. In reply, He warned about false prophets coming in His name to deceive many as a sign of His second advent. Wars and rumors of wars will characterize the period with earthquakes happening in quick successions in divers places.

The persecution and killings of believers will then increase as the world demonstrates more hatred towards Christ’s followers just before He returns. He spoke about the gospel message reaching all nations before the end of the age comes.

False prophets have been existing right from Bible days. They teach destructive heresies. Scripture tells us that false teachers introduce or bring in damnable heresies deceptively, quietly and secretly. False teachers are very active in every part of the world today and have penetrated the Christendom. These are the very last days indeed. And the signs are pointing to the imminent return of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Believers must rise to preach the pure gospel truth to counter the error being peddled by false prophets.

Thought for the day: False teaching is the poison of the soul.

Bible Reading in one Year: Hebrews 1-4

DCLM Daily Manna was written by Pastor William Folorunso Kumuyi; is the founder and General Superintendent of the Deeper Life Bible Church situated at KM 42 on the busy Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, Nigeria.

Rekindle the Fire - Kenneth Copeland’s Daily September 23, 2017 Devotional:

Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you... - James 4:8

Remember when you first got into the Word and were so excited about the things of God? Remember when you could hardly wait to read the next chapter in the Bible or listen to the latest teaching tape? There was only one word to describe you—hot! Your reborn spirit was on fire for God.

When Ken and I first heard the message of faith, we were like that. We were so on fire that nothing else in the world interested us. We had learned that we could trust God’s Word just like we could trust the word of a close friend, and we were hungry to find out everything He had promised us in His Word.

Back then, it seemed all I did was read God’s Word. I read faith books. I listened to tapes. I was dedicated. My total interest was the Word of God.

But slowly that changed. At first I didn’t even realize it was happening. Then the Holy Spirit went to work on me and showed me that I had grown lukewarm. I had let the fire die down. I still read the Word, but I had lost my enthusiasm.

Maybe you’ve had this same experience. If so, I want to tell you how to get the fire back. It worked for me and it will work for you.

God’s Word says to draw near to Him and He will draw near to you. In order to do that you will have to first drop the things that are stealing your time from reading the Word. Delight yourself in His Word. Become diligent again. If you will give your attention to the things of God, soon your desire for God will increase. Your desire will follow your attention. The more you attend to something, the more your desire is drawn to give attention to that thing.

I can show you that this is a natural principle. If you play golf, you’ll go for months at a time without even thinking about it. Then one day you’ll make time in your schedule to go to the course and play a round or two. The next day you may want to play again. Your desire gets stronger and stronger the more you play.

This same thing will happen in the spirit realm. Your soul’s desire will follow whatever you spend your time doing. Start building yourself up by praying in the spirit. Believe and act on everything God says to you. Before long that flicker that’s been wavering in your spirit will grow again into an all-consuming fire!

Scripture Reading: Revelation 3:13-22

This message was written by Kenneth and Gloria Copeland, the leader of the Kenneth Copeland Ministries (www.KCM.org) that specializes in teaching principles of bible faith - prayer, healing, salvation and other biblical topics.

What Simon Said - Our Daily Bread 23 September 2017 Devotional

Read: Luke 5:1–11, Bible in a Year: Song of Solomon 1–3; Galatians 2

Simon answered, . . . “But because you say so, I will let down the nets." Luke 5:5

A man named Refuge Rabindranath has been a youth worker in Sri Lanka for more than ten years. He often interacts with the youth late into the night—playing with them, listening to them, counseling and teaching them. He enjoys working with the young people, but it can be disheartening when promising students sometimes walk away from the faith. Some days he feels a bit like Simon Peter in Luke 5.

Simon had been working hard all night but caught no fish (v. 5). He felt discouraged and tired. Yet when Jesus told him to “put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch” (v. 4), Simon replied, “Because you say so, I will let down the nets” (v. 5).

Simon’s obedience is remarkable. As a seasoned fisherman, he knew that fish move to the bottom of the lake when the sun is up, and the dragnets they used could not go deep enough to catch those fish.

His willingness to trust Jesus was rewarded. Not only did Simon catch a large number of fish, he gained a deeper understanding of who Jesus is. He moved from calling Jesus “Master” (v. 5) to calling Him “Lord” (v. 8). Indeed, “listening” often allows us to see the works of God firsthand and draw closer to Him.

Perhaps God is calling you to “let down your nets again.” May we reply to the Lord as Simon did: “Because You say so, I will.”

Prayer: Father, it is our great privilege to call You “Lord.” Help us to obey and trust You, and to learn more of what it means to walk closely with You.

Our obedience to God will guide us through the unknown and draw us closer to Him.

Insight:

Can you relate to Peter when his first impulse was to question Jesus’s knowledge of fishing? (Luke 5:5). Peter may have wondered, Jesus is a remarkable rabbi, but can He show someone who knows the waters of Galilee how to fish them? What followed became a reason for Peter and friends to follow Jesus. By obeying the Teacher’s words, a bad night of fishing turned into one of the biggest catches of their lives.

Can you recall a time when trusting God with the impossible resulted in something amazing? Mart DeHaan

This message was written By Poh Fang Chia [Our Daily Bread Ministries.]

Resisting God? - Open Heavens Daily Devotional 23 September 2017

Memorise: Do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? are we stronger than he? – 1 Corinthians 10:22

Read: 1 Corinthians 10:21-23 (KJV)

21 Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of devils: ye cannot be partakers of the Lord's table, and of the table of devils.

22 Do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? are we stronger than he?

23 All things are lawful for me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but all things edify not.

Bible in One Year: Nehemiah 7-8, Ezekiel 45:10-25, Hymn: Sing hymn 6 – Deeper, Deeper

MESSAGE:

Colossians 1:16 tells us that all visible and invisible things were created by God and for God. You were created to make God happy by following His will, plan and purpose for your life. However, when you take the path of self-government and go contrary to the purpose for which you were created, that is rebellion. Lucifer and several angels decided to walk out of God’s original plan, and they became who we now refer to as Satan and demons (Isaiah 14:12-16, Revelation 12:7-9). Anyone who follows self-government today will also end up where the devil and his demons are. The truth is, if you fail God, you fail yourself. Therefore, pleasing God is the real path to true self-fulfilment, lasting peace and joy. I tell you the truth, living on earth without conforming to God’s original blueprint for your life makes you waste that life. Without God, life is not worth living.

“No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.” - 2 Timothy 2:4

Coming up next: Open Heavens 24 September 2017: Sunday daily devotional by Pastor Adeboye – The Important Factor

We are not here on earth by our power or design. We were created and placed here to satisfy God’s eternal plan and purpose for our lives. Even when Jesus was here, in all that He did, He did not try to please Himself but His father (John 8:29, John 5:30). Now that He has chosen us to be His soldiers, we cannot afford to please ourselves. When He gives us an assignment, we must do it exactly as He wants it done, or risk going against Him. In 1 Samuel 15, King Saul was given an assignment by God to go and utterly wipe out the Amalekites. He went out to fulfil it but made slight changes to the instructions. In the end, he failed God and failed himself. He lost his kingdom because he could not totally comply with God’s will. Today, for this same reason, many people are close to completely losing their place in God’s divine plan. A king who resisted God had to go on a seven-year trip into insanity, and he lost his throne for that period (Daniel 4). Similarly, another king who said that God’s word should not be heard was eaten alive by worms (Acts 12:1-24). If these great kings could not resist or withstand God, do you think you can? If you are wise, you will totally submit to His will today. God has a problem with the so-called obedience of a good number of His children. Although He is speaking to them, they are not listening to Him, rather they are more interested in hearing themselves. Hence, He has almost grounded them in all areas. Thinking it’s the devil at fault, such people are wrongly praying against agents of darkness. It is time to do nothing short of God’s total will in all your ways!

Key Point: Those who resist God are fighting a battle they can never win.

Open Heavens Daily Devotional guide was written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye, the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, one of the largest evangelical church in the world and also the President of Christ the Redeemer's Ministries.

iOpenHeavens is the electronic version of the Hard Copy. The Open Heavens devotional application is available across all mobile platforms and operating systems: iOS, Android, Blackberry, Nokia, Windows Mobile and PC.

Forbid Extension! - Open Heavens 13 May 2017: Saturday daily devotional

Memorise: But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you. – 1 Peter 5:10

Read: Genesis 15:10-15 (KJV)

10 And he took unto him all these, and divided them in the midst, and laid each piece one against another: but the birds divided he not.

11 And when the fowls came down upon the carcases, Abram drove them away.

12 And when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram; and, lo, an horror of great darkness fell upon him.

13 And he said unto Abram, Know of a surety that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs, and shall serve them; and they shall afflict them four hundred years;

14 And also that nation, whom they shall serve, will I judge: and afterward shall they come out with great substance.

15 And thou shalt go to thy fathers in peace; thou shalt be buried in a good old age.

Bible in One Year: Deuteronomy 18-20, Jeremiah 30:10-24, Hymn: Sing hymn 4

MESSAGE:

One assurance you have as a believer is that the boat of your life and endeavours cannot sink. Be assured that every storm, contrary wind and wave that is working against you is only for an appointed time. The Holy Spirit made this clear in 1 Peter 5:10 when He said,

“But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.”

Beloved, don’t believe the lie of the devil that things will continue to get worse. They will not! Don’t believe that the unpleasant situation you find yourself in will persist. It will not! Every pain, sorrow or distress is for a set time and it will definitely expire. After its expiration, the imperfect shall be perfected, the unstable shall be established, the weak shall be strengthened and there shall be divine settlement. These shall be your portion from now in Jesus’ Name!

However, sometimes, the devil attempts to extend the period of a trial of faith beyond what was originally sanctioned by God. This is why we need to know God’s will concerning a situation and thereafter stand on it. You need to know your kingdom rights and insist on receiving them. The devil is rightly called a thief in John 10:10. He steals what does not belong to him. Any ground you fail to conquer in the Kingdom will be lost to the enemy’s camp. Any promise of God you do not know and lay claim to shall be lost to the enemy. How much of God’s promises and prophecies do you know? How many of them have you laid claim to? Do you know that God can allow you go through a trial of faith situation for three years, but if you fail to know the exact duration or are not sensitive enough, the devil can take advantage of that situation and prolong the hardship? This was the case in today’s reading. God spoke of Abraham’s descendants going into slavery in a strange land for a period of 400 years and thereafter they would come out with great wealth; but do you know that by the time the Israelites were delivered, they had spent an extra 30 years in slavery (Exodus 12:40)! Even today, many believers have allowed the devil to enjoy extra time afflicting them. They have moved from the preset trial period to a period of satanic affliction, thinking they are still going through the God-ordained trial of faith. How can you check this? Ask God. Seek His face over it. Use all the weapons you have as a Christian: the Name of Jesus, the Blood of Jesus, the promises of God and a life of holiness to combat that unpleasant situation. If the situation stops, it means your trial is over.

Prayer Point: Every Satanic extension to my “trial of faith” period is terminated now in Jesus’ Name.

Open Heavens Daily Devotional guide was written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye, the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, one of the largest evangelical church in the world and also the President of Christ the Redeemer's Ministries.

iOpenHeavens is the electronic version of the Hard Copy. The Open Heavens devotional application is available across all mobile platforms and operating systems: iOS, Android, Blackberry, Nokia, Windows Mobile and PC.

Take Your Place - Kenneth Copeland’s daily devotional May 13, 2017

[For my determined purpose is] that I may know Him [that I may progressively become more deeply and intimately acquainted with Him, perceiving and recognizing and understanding the wonders of His Person more strongly and more clearly], and that I may in that same way come to know the power outflowing from His resurrection. -Philippians 3:10, The Amplified Bible

The more you fellowship with God around His Word, the more you’ll know the “power outflowing from His resurrection.” You’ll develop joy. You’ll develop faith. You’ll start developing God’s own characteristics...just by fellowshiping with Him. You’ll begin to understand who you really are in Jesus.

I remember one day I was reading the story of the woman with the issue of blood who touched the hem of Jesus’ garment and was healed.

I’d read the story many times and pictured myself as almost everyone in the story, just experiencing how it would feel to be someone in the crowd or even the one who was healed.

Suddenly God spoke to my spirit and said, Read that again and this time picture yourself as the one wearing the garment.

I was stunned. “Lord,” I said, “how can I do that? I can’t take Your place!”

That’s just what’s wrong with the Body of Christ, He told me. That’s the reason the world doesn’t know anything about Jesus. You identify with everyone except Me. But I sent you to be My witnesses, to imitate Me, to stand in My place...not everyone else’s!

So, I read that story again. This time I pictured myself in the role of the one with the Anointing of the Holy Ghost. Instead of crawling up to touch the hem of His garment, I was the one wearing the garment, freely giving what God had given me. After all, the Bible does say, “Clothe yourself with the Lord Jesus Christ.”

Do you know who scares the devil most of all? Believers who’ve found out they can do that. Believers who, instead of begging for a little touch from Jesus, are letting His very life flow out to others.

Come on, give the devil a scare. Fellowship with your Father around the Word and start discovering who you really are today.

Scripture Reading: Luke 8:40-48

This message was written by Kenneth and Gloria Copeland, the leader of the Kenneth Copeland Ministries (www.KCM.org) that specializes in teaching principles of bible faith - prayer, healing, salvation and other biblical topics.

Undone Cake - DCLM Daily Manna May 13, 2017

Text: 2 Kings 13:3-7

Key Verse: "Nevertheless they departed not from the sins of the house of Jeroboam, who made Israel sin, but walked therein: and there remained the grove also in Samaria" (2 Kings 13:6).

"Some often repent, yet never reform; they resemble a man traveling in a dangerous path, who frequently starts and stops, but never turns back," so said Bonnell Thornton. He might have been referring to Israel, as did Charles Spurgeon who noted that, "Israel’s repentance was only half-hearted; they repented because they suffered.

They repented because of the suffering rather than because of the sin. They went back to the sin after they escaped from the sorrow." The ascension of Jehoahaz to the throne was the beginning of the fulfillment of a promise made to Jehu (2 Kings 10:30). This dynasty - though founded on a violent overthrow of the previous royal house - continued because Jehu came to the throne doing the will of God, though, he later relapsed into the idolatry of Jeroboam (2 Kings 10:31). Jehoahaz followed in the footsteps of his father Jehu and his idolatrous lifestyle attracted the divine displeasure and judgment of God who delivered them over to be punished by the kings of Syria. Therefore, when in suffering, he cried unto the Lord in seeming repentance, God listened to his prayer because of His great mercy and care for Israel.

Although God answered the prayer and sent a deliverer, Israel continued in their false worship. This attitude, after God gave a respite, was proof that his prayer did not mark a lasting or real revival in his life. His repentance was like a cake not well baked. False repentance hinders the needed striving towards true, godly transformation of life and attitude.

Not only will it keep you from enjoying the fruit of repentance (the blessing of abiding in Christ), it also leads to enduring enslavement to sin. The sobering reality is that unabated false repentance will result in spiritual death (2 Corinthians 7:10). Repentance is essential for the Christian life. When someone truly repents from sin and turns to God by faith in Jesus, he receives pardon from God. Such repentance is genuine and He expects that from you today.

Thought for the day: Repentance without righteousness is like a car without an engine.

Bible Reading in one Year: 2 Chronicles 22-25

DCLM Daily Manna was written by Pastor William Folorunso Kumuyi; is the founder and General Superintendent of the Deeper Life Bible Church situated at KM 42 on the busy Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, Nigeria.

Sons Are Spirit-Led - Open Heavens 6 May 2017: Saturday daily devotional

Memorise: For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. –Romans 8:14

Read: Romans 8:13-14 (KJV)

13 For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.

14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.

Bible in One Year: Deuteronomy 4, Jeremiah 26:12-24, Hymn: Sing hymn 15

MESSAGE:

“It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.” - John 6:63

To a natural man, the words of Jesus Christ and the message of the cross are all foolishness (1 Corinthians 2:14). A person who is not living in the Spirit cannot comprehend the message of Jesus Christ because it originates from the Holy Spirit. This is why it takes the Holy Spirit to enlighten the eyes of a natural man’s understanding and convict his heart, before he can accept Jesus Christ into his life. To live in the Spirit, you need the Holy Spirit to quicken you. It is His work to make you alive and to strengthen you spiritually. When you are down or tired, if you pray in the spirit long enough, you will find the required strength to undertake the assignment ahead of you. Every assignment that God has for you is first spiritual and then physical. This is why you cannot effectively perform a divine assignment using only physical means. Even when you have to undertake the physical aspects of a divine assignment, you need spiritual stamina or input to be effective.

Moreover, if you live in the Spirit, you should also be led by the Spirit. Who leads you reveals who owns you (Romans 6:16). To understand what it means to be led by the Spirit, read up the account of the operations of the Holy Spirit in the life of Philip in Acts 8:26-40. If you are saved and you barely receive divine guidance from the Holy Spirit, you are still a babe in the Kingdom; but if you are regularly led of the Holy Spirit – meaning you hear His voice and fellow His instructions – then you have most likely attained the level of maturity in the faith where you can be called a son (Hebrews 5:11-14). God is looking for sons and not just babes! There are several Kingdom assignments that God wants to give out, but He is looking for sons to take them up. Sons hear His voice and obey promptly, but babes find it difficult even to recognise God’s voice. Sons are guided by the Holy Spirit into all truth, because they can accept it and run with it, but babes cannot stand certain truths (John 16:12-13). If there are some truths from God’s word that can make you to turn back from following the Lord, you are still a babe and not a son yet. The word of God contains depths of truth. While babes read through it without getting much, sons carefully go step by step through it to harness the volumes of truth contained in it. Are you a babe or a son?

Prayer Point: Father, give me ears that hear Your Spirit, and give me a heart that follows His leading.

Open Heavens Daily Devotional guide was written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye, the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, one of the largest evangelical church in the world and also the President of Christ the Redeemer's Ministries.

iOpenHeavens is the electronic version of the Hard Copy. The Open Heavens devotional application is available across all mobile platforms and operating systems: iOS, Android, Blackberry, Nokia, Windows Mobile and PC.