OPEN HEAVENS DAILY
DEVOTIONAL.
DATE: SUNDAY 15TH JANUARY
2017.
THEME: FOLLOW GOD'S ORDER
Memorise:
(For after all these things do the
Gentiles seek) for your heavenly
Father knoweth that ye have
need of all these things. Matthew
6:32
Read: Matthew 6:24-33
6:24 No man can serve two
masters: for either he will hate
the one, and love the other; or
else he will hold to the one, and
despise the other. Ye cannot
serve God and mammon.
6:25 Therefore I say unto you,
Take no thought for your life,
what ye shall eat, or what ye shall
drink; nor yet for your body,
what ye shall put on. Is not the
life more than meat, and the
body than raiment?
6:26 Behold the fowls of the air:
for they sow not, neither do they
reap, nor gather into barns; yet
your heavenly Father feedeth
them. Are ye not much better
than they?
6:27 Which of you by taking
thought can add one cubit unto
his stature?
6:28 And why take ye thought
for raiment? Consider the lilies of
the field, how they grow; they
toil not, neither do they spin:
6:29 And yet I say unto you, That
even Solomon in all his glory was
not arrayed like one of these.
6:30 Wherefore, if God so clothe
the grass of the field, which to
day is, and to morrow is cast into
the oven, shall he not much more
clothe you, O ye of little faith?
6:31 Therefore take no thought,
saying, What shall we eat? or,
What shall we drink? or,
Wherewithal shall we be clothed?
6:32 (For after all these things do
the Gentiles seek) for your
heavenly Father knoweth that ye
have need of all these things.
6:33 But seek ye first the
kingdom of God, and his
righteousness; and all these
things shall be added unto you.
MESSAGE:
God's design for you as His child
is not for you to pursue material
things; He rather wants material
things to pursue you
(Deuteronomy 28:2, Psalm 23:6,
Isaiah 60). When you pursue
material things, you will use up
so much effort, strength, wisdom
and resources. Even after
realising your goals, you might
still not be satisfied. Do you know
that if God is not behind your
pursuit, time and again the goal
posts can be shifted, thereby
making the realisation of your
dreams a mirage? There is a user
of this devotional in this very
situation. Every year, you have
continued to pursue a particular
goal without success. Sometimes
it appears within your reach, but
before long, it becomes
unattainable. Your goal keeps
eluding you because you forsook
your relationship with God to
pursue your personal desire. If
you can return fully to God today
and remain with Him, you will
suddenly realise that what you
have been pursuing all these
years is already in your hands.
A look at today's Bible reading
reveals to us certain truths. First,
God knows your needs. He does
not need you to tell Him before
He realises what you need. When
God brings you into a new year,
He definitely knows you and your
family need food for 365 days, a
roof over your head, clothing,
transportation, energy and
water, etc. He even knows the
needs that you yourself have not
yet identified. He does not just
take a global but an eternal view
over you and all that is yours.
Also, He is interested in how you
meet those needs. Those who do
not know God have a way of
meeting their own needs which
is at variance with God's plans.
The godless pursue material
things at the expense of a
personal relationship with God. If
you are a bona fide child of God
yet pursuing material things,
then you are living like the
godless. To simplify things for His
people, God designed that we
should pursue Him, and not
things. He wants us to make Him
our first priority in all that we do.
As we seek Him, He will cause
those things the godless are
busy chasing after to come
effortlessly to us. This year, stop
being wise in your own eyes!
Seek God as never before. Put
Him first. Give Him time every day.
Thank Him, praise Him, worship
Him and obey Him. When you do
all these, you will realise at the
end of the year that your
achievements have exceeded
your expectations.
Key Point:
Whenever you pursue material
things, God is sidelined and
unhappy that such things have
taken His place in your life.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
Mark 1-2
Isaiah 11:6-12:6
AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE.
HYMN 7: O JESUS, I HAVE
PROMISED.
1. O Jesus, I have promised,
To serve Thee to the end;
Be Thou forever near me,
My Master and my Friend;
I shall not fear the battle
If Thou art by my side,
Nor wander from the pathway
If Thou wilt be my Guide.
2. Oh, let me hear Thee speaking,
In accents clear and still,
I dare not trust my judgment:
Thy way shall be my will;
Oh, speak to reassure me,
To hasten or control;
Oh, speak, and make me listen,
Thou Guardian of my soul.
3. O Jesus, Thou hast promised
To all who follow Thee
That where Thou art in glory
There shall Thy servant be;
And Jesus, I have promised
To serve Thee to the end;
Oh, give me grace to follow,
My Master and my Friend.
4. Oh, let me see Thy footmarks,
And in them plant mine own;
My hope to follow duly
Is in Thy strength alone.
Oh, guide me, call me, draw me,
Uphold me to the end;
And then in Heav'n receive me,
My Savior and my Friend.
DEVOTIONAL.
DATE: SUNDAY 15TH JANUARY
2017.
THEME: FOLLOW GOD'S ORDER
Memorise:
(For after all these things do the
Gentiles seek) for your heavenly
Father knoweth that ye have
need of all these things. Matthew
6:32
Read: Matthew 6:24-33
6:24 No man can serve two
masters: for either he will hate
the one, and love the other; or
else he will hold to the one, and
despise the other. Ye cannot
serve God and mammon.
6:25 Therefore I say unto you,
Take no thought for your life,
what ye shall eat, or what ye shall
drink; nor yet for your body,
what ye shall put on. Is not the
life more than meat, and the
body than raiment?
6:26 Behold the fowls of the air:
for they sow not, neither do they
reap, nor gather into barns; yet
your heavenly Father feedeth
them. Are ye not much better
than they?
6:27 Which of you by taking
thought can add one cubit unto
his stature?
6:28 And why take ye thought
for raiment? Consider the lilies of
the field, how they grow; they
toil not, neither do they spin:
6:29 And yet I say unto you, That
even Solomon in all his glory was
not arrayed like one of these.
6:30 Wherefore, if God so clothe
the grass of the field, which to
day is, and to morrow is cast into
the oven, shall he not much more
clothe you, O ye of little faith?
6:31 Therefore take no thought,
saying, What shall we eat? or,
What shall we drink? or,
Wherewithal shall we be clothed?
6:32 (For after all these things do
the Gentiles seek) for your
heavenly Father knoweth that ye
have need of all these things.
6:33 But seek ye first the
kingdom of God, and his
righteousness; and all these
things shall be added unto you.
MESSAGE:
God's design for you as His child
is not for you to pursue material
things; He rather wants material
things to pursue you
(Deuteronomy 28:2, Psalm 23:6,
Isaiah 60). When you pursue
material things, you will use up
so much effort, strength, wisdom
and resources. Even after
realising your goals, you might
still not be satisfied. Do you know
that if God is not behind your
pursuit, time and again the goal
posts can be shifted, thereby
making the realisation of your
dreams a mirage? There is a user
of this devotional in this very
situation. Every year, you have
continued to pursue a particular
goal without success. Sometimes
it appears within your reach, but
before long, it becomes
unattainable. Your goal keeps
eluding you because you forsook
your relationship with God to
pursue your personal desire. If
you can return fully to God today
and remain with Him, you will
suddenly realise that what you
have been pursuing all these
years is already in your hands.
A look at today's Bible reading
reveals to us certain truths. First,
God knows your needs. He does
not need you to tell Him before
He realises what you need. When
God brings you into a new year,
He definitely knows you and your
family need food for 365 days, a
roof over your head, clothing,
transportation, energy and
water, etc. He even knows the
needs that you yourself have not
yet identified. He does not just
take a global but an eternal view
over you and all that is yours.
Also, He is interested in how you
meet those needs. Those who do
not know God have a way of
meeting their own needs which
is at variance with God's plans.
The godless pursue material
things at the expense of a
personal relationship with God. If
you are a bona fide child of God
yet pursuing material things,
then you are living like the
godless. To simplify things for His
people, God designed that we
should pursue Him, and not
things. He wants us to make Him
our first priority in all that we do.
As we seek Him, He will cause
those things the godless are
busy chasing after to come
effortlessly to us. This year, stop
being wise in your own eyes!
Seek God as never before. Put
Him first. Give Him time every day.
Thank Him, praise Him, worship
Him and obey Him. When you do
all these, you will realise at the
end of the year that your
achievements have exceeded
your expectations.
Key Point:
Whenever you pursue material
things, God is sidelined and
unhappy that such things have
taken His place in your life.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
Mark 1-2
Isaiah 11:6-12:6
AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE.
HYMN 7: O JESUS, I HAVE
PROMISED.
1. O Jesus, I have promised,
To serve Thee to the end;
Be Thou forever near me,
My Master and my Friend;
I shall not fear the battle
If Thou art by my side,
Nor wander from the pathway
If Thou wilt be my Guide.
2. Oh, let me hear Thee speaking,
In accents clear and still,
I dare not trust my judgment:
Thy way shall be my will;
Oh, speak to reassure me,
To hasten or control;
Oh, speak, and make me listen,
Thou Guardian of my soul.
3. O Jesus, Thou hast promised
To all who follow Thee
That where Thou art in glory
There shall Thy servant be;
And Jesus, I have promised
To serve Thee to the end;
Oh, give me grace to follow,
My Master and my Friend.
4. Oh, let me see Thy footmarks,
And in them plant mine own;
My hope to follow duly
Is in Thy strength alone.
Oh, guide me, call me, draw me,
Uphold me to the end;
And then in Heav'n receive me,
My Savior and my Friend.
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